Threads of Love
by MysticBluAngel
Summary: Legs shaking, she forced herself to her feet. It had been too sudden to be a sickness. Once more, she collapsed, not even taking one step toward her hut. Her body convulsed. SessSan. Rated for strong language Thanks Inu! and violence, mostly. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

Summary

Legs shaking, she forced herself to her feet. It had been too sudden to be a sickness. Once more, she collapsed, not even taking one step toward her hut. Her body convulsed.

_1_

**XxX**

Her raven hair floated gently in the soft spring breeze. Her mahogany eyes stared straight back into her memories. Those nightmarish flashes had returned. Her lips were firmly pulled back into a snarl. Naraku had caused her more trouble than any other youkai and he was only a hanyou. Her fists tightened at her sides. Suddenly, she noticed something white dancing softly at the edge of her peripheral vision. Turning her head, heart pounding, she was disappointed to see that it was only her wet clothing drying in the warm sunshine. Without realizing it, she had thought of _him_.

_What am I? A naive child, hoping for a fairy tale life? Or a love-struck-_

Her thoughts screeched to a halt. Was she in love with him? Was one night enough to make her emotionally attached?

_It can be no more than lust. But...empathy never lies. He was just as lonely and affected by it as I was. He was...just as passionate for me as I was for him._

His eyes had been focused on her. He had looked at her with those gorgeous eyes of his, actually saw her instead of looking past her.

_Wasn't he...?_

Sighing, she realized that she would never get her work done if she continued to daydream. Right before her encounter with him, she had parted with her friends for some alone time. Kagome had instantly understood, telling her that they would be there for her when she was ready to return to them. After all, she had just lost her only remaining family in a turning point battle against their nemisis. Kirara had been told to remain with them but the young taiji-ya doubted that the neko would do so for much longer. It had been a couple of weeks already. Two weeks since her encounter with him. With a longing look towards the fields, she turned reluctantly and entered back to her village.

**XxX**

She trembled, sweat trickling down her face. Her heart was racing. The suddenly bout of nausea...had been too strong for her body. Legs shaking, she forced herself to her feet. It had been too sudden to be a sickness. Once more, she collapsed, not even taking one step toward her hut. Her body convulsed. Her sickness overwhelmed her once more, forcing her to empty the remaining contents of her stomach all over the dry ground. The stench made her cringe.

**"Sango! Are you all right?"** She turned her head quickly toward the voice. No one was there. Was she becoming delusional, as well? No, she wasn't. Consciousness was slowly slipping through her fingers, as though it were merely grains of sand. Her vision blurred and she fell over, darkness consuming her.

**XxX**

"Where the hell is she?" Inuyasha tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori. "It's been what, three or four weeks?" Kagome looked worriedly over at Miroku, who was staring ahead to the end of his vision. "We should go and drag her back."

"Do you think..." She was too afraid to voice her thoughts, as though doing so would make them real. Sango had been in bad shape after their last epic battle had robbed Kohaku from the living world. After all, he had died to save her. He told her that it was to repent for being such a weakling in the beginning.

**"You were no such thing, dear brother... Never say that you were weak..."** He smiled as he closed his eyes for good, never feeling his sister's hot tears as they dripped onto his face. Naraku had then fled with the shard of the jewel. His cruel laughter still echoed in her nightmares and Kagome was sure that Sango's nightmares had been worse.

"Kagome, stop spacing out. If we can locate a shard of the jewel then I'm sure Naraku won't be far behind." Miroku silently agreed, his violet eyes on the miko. He seemed to know what she had been thinking of because he calmly placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"She can take care of herself. She is very capable of protecting herself from harm. Inuyasha is right. If we continue, she should be able to track us down when she's ready to return." They both knew that the hanyou was worried for her and that they wouldn't go too far from her reach. So, gripping the straps of her backpack, she sent a look at Shippou and Kirara that told them they were moving out. The kitsune seemed to handle the taiji-ya's absense the best. But Kirara was the opposite. It was like she had taken ill ever since her mistress took leave of them. She sighed. If things didn't pick up, she would have to see a psychiatrist. Then again, if she did, she doubted she'd return to the Sengoku Jidai for quite a long while.

"I say that we start out this way. That bastard's scent is completely gone. I don't know where the coward ran to after our battle." Inuyasha was pissed off. He didn't tolerate talking when he was pissed so everyone settled to drowning in their thoughts. Unfortunately, Kagome's thoughts made her want to cry. So, she looked up into the sunny sky, and tried to pretend that everything was fine.

**XxX**

Sango had no idea how long she was lying there with her face pressed into the dirt. All she knew was that it was no longer daylight. Her dull mahogany eyes tried to focus but she couldn't even see a rock sitting right next to her face, one in which gave her a jagged cut when she fell after attempting to push herself up with her arms. The pain felt oddly bearable. Since she couldn't lift her weight with her arms, she opted to sit up. So, she rolled over and sat up, feeling a dizzy spell hit her full-on. It faded rather quickly and she was able to get to her knees. Breathing deeply, she pushed herself to her feet and walked to her hut, where she grabbed her sword and used it as a walking stick.

"Ughhh..." Her insides were in turmoil. Something was wrong. She didn't know what it was, though. Either that or she did and didn't want to admit or think about it. But it was by no means the time to debate her situation. The only solution to her problem was to find the closest village. Getting there was the hardest part, especially with the way her body was shaking and convulsing.

_Still, I've got no choice. If I am to survive, I have to do this..._

Sango walked until she could feel the beads of perspiration roll down her face. Her vision blurred nastily as she stumbled on, determined not to fall until she'd reached a village. Luckily, she knew the way to that village like she knew the backs of her own hands.

_Almost...there... Just...a little...further..._

Her breathing was labored and her strength was fading even faster than it had been before. Suddenly, another wave of nausea overtook her body. She fell to her knees and dry-heaved. Her eyes widened in horror when she spit up blood after the spell had ended.

"What...the..." Her voice was hoarse and choked, like she'd been deprived of air for far too long. Looking off to the side, where she'd dropped her sword, she muttered a choice word and reached for it desperately.

"Sango-san? What are you doing out here?" A group of village women stood before her, each holding buckets of water. The one leading the group instantly set her buckets down when she noticed the condition of the kneeling taiji-ya.

"H-Help..." Her mahogany eyes pleaded as she stared up at them. The woman instructed the others to return and inform the priestess while she helped Sango to stand and walk to the village. Of course, she didn't leave until Sango had her weapon, which was a reason for a small protest from the sick taiji-ya.

"What is it, Sango-san? How can you be so sick?" The unnatural balance within the young woman in her arms was outstanding and, frankly, very confusing. She had never seen any of the taiji-ya in such terrible condition before. There was no response from the unconscious woman as she half-dragged her into the village. As soon as they arrived, one of the men rushed to gather Sango into his arms, carrying her into the home of the priestess.

"This is...Sango-san, is it not?" The concern in the elderly woman's voice did not escape notice. "What has happened to her?"

No one could provide an answer...save the suffering young taiji-ya.

**XxX**

Opening her eyes, Sango found that she was not stricken with dizzy spells. The clarity in her vision had been restored and her breathing was pretty much unhindered. Sitting up slowly, as to not ignite possible nausea, she looked around. A cloth fell from her forehead onto her lap.

"Ah, you are awake." A woman stepped in from outside, her expression relieved yet quite serious. The young taiji-ya found herself targeted with a fierce stare. "I have a question for you, dear one." The priestess kneeled down next to her and settled her back into her bed. "Have you had any intimate relations in the last month?" Mahogany eyes widened, stunned, as the woman replaced the newly cooled cloth to her forehead. Her throat was dry and constricted, restraining her from answering. So, she simply nodded her head in shame, her face burning red from embarrassment. "Then I believe we have an answer to your problem. Some women have hard pregnancies and I deeply regret to tell you but most of the time, neither survive such a severe case." Tears pricked at Sango's eyes but she forced them back. She had already shown enough weakness to last herself ten lifetimes. "May I ask where the father is?" Slowly, the taiji-ya shook her head.

"He...will not come." The haunted look in her eyes made the priestess shudder. Then, the only thing she could do was provide assistance and comfort. There was no doubt in her mind that the child was not fully human. She had seen many pregnancies of hanyou children fail, ending in a double tragedy.

"Rest now, Sango-san. Be at ease, if only for now." So, Sango simply closed her eyes, hoping to see her friends at least one last time...

_**Her eyes opened, her head aching and her vision once more distorted and blurry. She heard voices around her. Familiar voices. Remaining still so that she could hear what they were talking about so seriously, she closed her eyes once more.**_

_**"So, what exactly are you saying, Lady?" It sounded like the houshi. His voice wasn't cheerful but serious and concerned.**_

_**"She isn't...going to make it. The pregnancy is becoming too much for her body to handle." The priestess answered gravely. Sango wanted to start crying her eyes out. All because she had been in his territory. All because she had let herself go, allowed herself to be taken by him. She was going to die before she had the chance to gain revenge on Naraku. It was all her fault. She had sinned and greatly dishonored her people by carrying the child of a youkai. And not just any youkai...but a Daiyoukai at that.**_

_**"This scent...it's familiar." She heard the rustling of clothing after his soft words. "It's...Sesshoumaru!" Anger laced his voice then. She knew that he had figured that she betrayed them once again.**_

_**"Wait a minute... You're saying that she's pregnant...with Sesshoumaru's child?" Kagome asked in disbelief. The rest, she didn't bother to listen to. She just accepted that she would die with her child, embrace it and suffer no more...**_

With a jolt, she woke up, finding tears cascading down her face. Their acceptance mattered more to her than anything. How would she ever tell them? Would it be as she had just dreamed? Would she accept death so easily? There really were no answers. All she could do was stare at the ceiling, determining each question by her current position. She knew that she would never accept death so easily. Even though all she did was suffer, she had to regain her honor and put her little brother to peace.

"Are you hungry, Sango-san?" The woman that had found her entered the hut and walked over with a bowl of soup in her hands. She frowned at seeing the young woman's tears. "Are you feeling better?" Sango sat up and wiped her face. There was no way that she would continue to cry like a spoiled child. She would only have her way if she earned it, if she fought for it.

"I am well, thank you." She accepted the soup with a quiet thanks before wondering what the villagers thought of her. The priestess had to have noticed the child's already strong youki. After all, that was what was causing her such trouble. Her body couldn't handle the distressed baby's youki levels. She had to find Sesshoumaru and get him to calm the child down. He wasn't stressing too much just yet but she only imagined what later would bring. She suddenly dropped the bowl, not even feeling the sting of the hot soup. Pain shot through her entire body and before long, she fell forward.

**XxX**

"Did you sense that?" Inuyasha turned around and looked in the direction. He had purposely went that way to see if she was at her village. What he sensed was a faint trace of youki but it reminded Inuyasha strongly of his brother. Kagome and Miroku shook their heads but Kirara seemed eager, as she recognized the area. "Let's go check it out." The hanyou took off, leaving the others to catch up however they wanted. Miroku ran while Kagome was assisted by Kirara.

"A village?" Miroku looked over at the hanyou. "It's intact. I think you're losing your touch." The sarcasm only seemed to piss Inuyasha off. But it wasn't the time for that. He sensed youki. Familiar youki. It was very faint but he could feel it.

"Lady, come quickly! Sango-san has collapsed again!" Inuyasha's ears twitched and his eyes widened. _Sango_? Was this where the taiji-ya had been? No... He looked back and nodded, alerted the others to follow him. The priestess walked toward the house that she had placed Sango in.

"Hold it!" Inuyasha jumped in front of her. "Sango is in there, isn't she?" The hanyou sensed the youki inside. Perhaps it was a lesser youkai that had poisoned her. But it...seemed so unstable. It was like a distress call. It pulled at his heart.

"You know Sango-san?" For some reason, the priestess wanted nothing to do with their group. Kagome nodded, her eyes filled with concern.

"Is she well?" Suddenly, their topic of conversation fell down the steps of the house as she attempted to leave on her own. "Sango!" Kagome ran forward, kneeling down next to her friend. "Sango, are you okay?" Inuyasha scrutinized the taiji-ya for a moment before his eyes gazed inside the open doors of the house. The pulsing youki...

"Kagome?" Sango choked roughly before wrenching herself from her friend's arms. She hid herself behind the house but they all heard what she was doing. But all Inuyasha could smell was blood. He gave the others a look, forcing them to stay behind as he followed her.

"Sango, what the hell is going on?" The hanyou looked down at her, narrowing his eyes. She remembered her dream and started shaking. He would hate her. But he would find out sooner or later, when her baby got stronger...

"Inuyasha..." She held her hand up and he took it, pulling her to her feet. "I don't know how to tell you this..." Taking various deep breaths, she tried her hardest to force her baby to calm down. "I'm...pregnant..." It seemed to take a minute for the news to actually register. Then he grabbed the front of her kimono and pulled her closer.

"Who is the father? Who the fuck is the father, Sango?" Something was telling the hanyou that it wasn't anyone he liked. Especially since she seemed awfully hesitant to tell him. "_Sango_!" She flinched before pulling away from him and facing him defiantly.

"It was a one-time thing. I think..." She tried to stall the name that was going to pass her lips. He grew ever more impatient.

"Fuck, Sango, that isn't what I asked you!" At that point, all of the others were eavesdropping on the 'private' conversation. But the entire village seemed to hear Inuyasha's loud voice. The priestess had thought at first that the hanyou's signal was similar and it was but it wasn't the same. "The name. Spit it out!" They all wanted to beat on Inuyasha because of the way he was screaming at the sick taiji-ya but they were curious as to what was going on. She looked away from him before allowing the name to drip from her lips.

"Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha's body went rigid. His amber eyes burned with fury, his lips pulling back into a snarl. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her rather violently.

"Tell me the truth! You're lying!" He could detect no hint of deception in her eyes, her scent, or her body. He let her drop onto the ground with a furious glare. "What the hell were you thinking, you idiot? How could you be so _stupid_?" Inuyasha was pissed. He felt so betrayed. The taiji-ya had left them, left _him_, to go prance off and sleep with his asshole of a brother! "What were you thinking?" He repeated in a softer tone. However, his voice was threatening, not comforting. "That he would revive your little brother if you slept with him? That he would use the Tenseiga on Kohaku for you?" Sango was shaking. But not because of sadness.

"Shut up!" She looked up, fire dancing in her mahogany eyes. "Don't you _ever_ say anything like that again!" She stood up and slapped him with all of the strength she had. "I would never do such a thing! Kohaku can never be revived again, I know that well enough!" Inuyasha glared back at her. She was pissed off. "I would never do that."

"Then why did you do it?" He was mocking her. The way he was staring at her. "Did you like the way he attacked us, attacked _me_? Or is the brother thing-" She slapped him again.

"Does it matter how it happened? Is that what's important? Or is the fact that I'm going to die carrying _your family_ more important? Do you want both of us to die? Would that satisfy you, since I practically betrayed you?" Her words sunk in and suddenly he felt guilty. But she was right. She wasn't in good shape.

"All right, bitch. Settle down. You've got to stay calm or else the brat will only stress even more." He walked closer to her and pulled her to him with one arm while he set one hand on her stomach. She felt Inuyasha's youki flare. Looking at the hanyou with wide eyes, she felt a sudden rush of emotion for her friend. His profane language meant nothing. His actions always proved how he felt.

"Would you like to tell us what's going on?" They turned to look at the group while Inuyasha continued to calm her child. Miroku had been the one to ask. He looked a little confused. The hanyou looked down at her, giving her a glare that told her that she had to tell them.

"Well, Houshi-sama..." She began, starting to tremble. Miroku was a forgiving man, right? After all, he was a houshi. They lived to forgive sins... But what she had done...was it a sin? "I-I'm going to have a baby." She hid her face beneath her bangs. He looked happy for only a moment before his expression turned to one of confusion.

"Who is the father, Sango?" Kagome asked quietly, her eyes going to Inuyasha's angry expression.

"S-Sesshoumaru." Miroku's expression, or sudden lack thereof, changed rather quickly. "Would you all let me explain later, when I've recovered? I feel as though I owe you all an explanation, especially you, Inuyasha." He held her only a moment longer before he pulled away.

"I've calmed the brat somewhat for now. The only one that can do it completely is it's asshole of a father." Sango glared at him before wrapping her arms around her stomach.

**XxX**

_Ohh... I can't wait to continue writing this one!_

_I'm sorry about Inuyasha's language but, really, I wanted to make his reaction as in character as possible. We all have to admit that he has a dirty mouth. In a situation like that, how else would he react but profanity?_

_I hope I did well on this. I'll let all of you be the judge._

_Thanks and please review!_

_-Angel_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango is pregnant with Sesshoumaru's child. Inuyasha is pissed off. Miroku isn't showing her how much he's affected.

_2_

**XxX**

_**Sango stood at the graves at her village, the battle with Naraku fresh on her mind. She kneeled down, praying for her little brother's peace and happiness. Though his hands were stained by the blood of innocents, he was innocent himself. She knew that. He was no monster. His soul was gentle, not meant for killing. Soon, she rose and left the village, going anywhere but back there. She'd been there for a few days and it had taken a few days to get there. She'd been gone a total of a week. She had to clear her mind of the emotions that the battle had left behind.**_

_**She never noticed that she was going in the direction of the Western Lands, the lands ruled by the Daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru. Of course, she wasn't in his territory very far when she came across hot springs.**_

**There's no Houshi-sama around so it'll be a nice break.**

_**She grinned and took off her clothes before sliding into the water. Keeping her wakizashi close by, she continued to relax her stiff muscles. She wasn't without wounds, either. They had stopped bleeding a few days ago.**_

**This water is so perfect... I don't ever want to leave it...**

_**She let a soft sigh escape her lips as she closed her eyes, sinking deeper.**_

_**"Comfortable, taiji-ya?" Her eyes snapped open and she went instantly for her wakizashi. Her mahogany eyes met a pair of amber ones as cold as ice. It almost made her shiver. He looked amused. "Do you plan to fight me as you are? Without armor?" She realized that he was mocking her. She sunk back down in the water until it was up to her chin before giving him a glare.**_

_**"What are you doing here?" He lost his amused expression. Something that wasn't good for her. He crossed his arms, drawing her attention to his new arm. It was his own...**_

_**"On the contrary, taiji-ya. What are you doing in **_**my**_** territory?" Sango's eyes widened. His territory? She had trespassed on the Daiyoukai's territory? How stupid was she not to notice that?**_

_**"Uh..." She looked away from him. "I was travelling and..."**_

_**"Without my fool of a brother? Why?" At the insult, she glared up at him. He ignored it.**_

_**  
"I needed time alone after a battle. Naraku killed my brother..." She sighed. "I didn't realize that I wandered into your territory, Sesshoumaru. I apologize."**_

_**  
"Is that all you are going to say in your defense?" The Daiyoukai questioned. There was no answer. He narrowed his eyes. "You were foolish, taiji-ya. I do not forgive trespassers so easily. What would happen if I accepted simple apologies every time a human trespassed?" Her eyes widened.**_

_**"Are you...saying that I owe you?" He smirked, his eyes gaining a murderous look in them. "You'll spare my life if I give something to you?" She looked down. "But...I don't have anything left..."**_

_**"Nothing, taiji-ya? You are living, are you not?" She gave him a cold glare.**_

_**"I will not give my life to you! I still need to kill Naraku to avenge my people!" He raised a brow, the smirk still in place.**_

_**"Then promise it to me. Give me something as a promise. I do not merely accept words." Sango would have stood up and screamed at him, if she weren't completely bare. Suddenly, a heated blush erupted across her face.**_

_**"What could I give you? I told you that I have nothing!" He was closer than he had been. He had moved and she hadn't seen it. She tried to back up but found that the only way to get further from him would be to get up and run. But she didn't have the speed to run from him. He was at the edge of the hot spring. Mist swirled around his figure, never seeming to touch his ethereal presence. She stared at him in awe. He was staring right at her. It was hard to describe... Her heart started pounding as she tried her hardest to remain still under that stare. Those amber eyes that gazed into her own weren't cold, though they made her shiver. Her body wouldn't move. She felt paralyzed as he began to walk slowly around the hot spring. She sat still, staring at the spot he had been in before.**_

_**  
"I can see it. I can smell it." He stopped behind her. "You have your innocence." Her face turned red and she found the strength to move away from him. She stared at him in fury.**_

_**"That is something that someone like you would never get from me willingly!" He stared at her with the same expression on his face.**_

_**"But you would give it to a houshi that has possibly bedded many females?" Her throat closed up. She couldn't defend Miroku. After all of those sleepless nights asking herself how many women he had, she found that she still held those doubts. Her eyes stung.**_

_**"Don't...even mention Houshi-sama." Sesshoumaru let a smirk grace his lips. "Leave him out of this."**_

_**"But the thought of him is the only thing holding you back." Sango went rigid. Was he probing her mind? No, he couldn't... "Is it not, **_**Sango**_**?" He taunted, eyes never leaving her.**_

_**"Sesshoumaru..." She didn't even realize that she'd spoken his name until he tilted his head. "W-Why should I give something like that to you? Why would you want a mortal like me?"**_

_**"Because I am allowing you to live. And...perhaps I am curious." In his eyes, she was like Izayoi. He sensed something strange, something interesting about her. Perhaps Inu no Taisho had been curious, as well. But perhaps he had gotten addicted to Izayoi. "It is the only thing you have to give." Sango looked down, her expression torn. "It is the way to defeating Naraku." Her eyes widened then. Would Inuyasha and the others forgive her?**_

**If I am their friend...then they should forgive this. It isn't as if it will happen again. It wouldn't...right?**

_**Slowly, she moved closer to him.**_

_**"Are you sure you want me?" He said nothing. "I am ugly. I am not a beautiful mortal princess or a lovely youkai. And I am inexperienced." He simply let his actions speak to her. He began with his large, furry pelt. Then went his armor. He continued until he was standing before her, concealing nothing. She moved back, never taking her eyes off of him. He was so well-toned, so beautiful. The scar where Inuyasha had marred him was so faint that she could hardly see it. When he was level with her, she reached out hesitantly, as though afraid that he was an illusion of mist. But his body was solid. Her hands traced his markings then his chest as he pulled her closer. His lips claimed hers, firm and demanding. Yet he was gentle...**_

Sango flushed red at the memory. Inuyasha looked beyond pissed off, almost disgusted as he listened to her recall the incident.

"So, his arm grew back, did it?" The hanyou sighed. "I was hoping the bastard would live without it for the rest of his existance." Kagome gave him a look before turning to Sango.

"Did he say anything about what would happen later?" She asked curiously. "Will he come to kill you?" The taiji-ya said nothing but appeared thoughtful.

"He said nothing, surprisingly. He left soon after...but never said a word." She leaned back and stretched slightly. Inuyasha snorted.

"I find that hard to believe." Sango gave him a look that time before standing up. "Where are you going? After this, I'm taking tabs on your movements." Kagome hit him over the head before rolling her eyes.

"For your information, I need to relieve myself. Unless, of course, you want to go with me to make certain that I'm not lying." The taiji-ya muttered bitterly. A deep flush erupted on the hanyou's face as he bit back a nasty remark, preferring to snarl at her instead. Sango's eyes then landed on Miroku, who had yet to change his expression or even mutter a word about what had transpired. But he would have to wait. She didn't have the strength to face him.

**XxX**

The sky was a deep pink, lighting up as the sun rose. Inuyasha sat on the roof, his amber eyes glazed in thought. Sango was pregnant and Naraku was still on the loose. How the hell were they supposed to deal with that? Not to mention that the hanyou wasn't thinking too highly of his brother for the burden, either.

_What is he going to do when he finds out...? I'm not sure that it's a mistake but it couldn't have been intentional. Sesshoumaru, what were you thinking when you took her?_

His mind strayed to his mother. How had Inu no Taishou taken his mother? Shaking his head, he managed to return his thoughts to where they were supposed to be. The baby. The hanyou baby. His brother's hanyou baby. Sango would no doubt protect it with her life. She was adamant about the subject. But...who would help her? Miroku didn't even seem to be talking to her, much less anyone else.

"You cannot be happy with this development, either." Smirking slightly, Inuyasha turned his head to look at the owner of the voice. "Considering your reaction to it..."

"Yeah, and you weren't pleased. I think that you practically screamed disapproval." Miroku sighed and relaxed, getting into his form for meditation. He didn't reply to the hanyou's words. "In fact, I'm surprised you're even willing to speak of it. Does it bother you that much? After all, you two didn't seem like you were going anywhere."

"What are you implying, Inuyasha?" The houshi's eyes narrowed.

"That the only reason she doubted you was because of that lechery of yours." Before his friend had the chance to react, Inuyasha stood and stretched. "Let's get them up. We've yet to decide where we're going from here."

"What do you mean?" The hanyou jumped from the roof and wandered lazily into the house. "Sango is fit for travel for a while yet..." Miroku mumbled to himself before trying to calm the wave of anger and sadness that was pushing on him like a tidal wave.

"Houshi-sama." Sango must have been up because she was fully dressed and wide awake as she left the house. "I need to speak with you." He climbed down and turned away from her. "Alone."

"What must you say to me? Can't you say it standing there?" She grabbed the back of his robes and pulled him away, not even caring that she had to drag him.

"You've no right to speak that way to me." He felt a furious glare longing to be released in his many expressions. But he kept his face blank as she let go of him and turned to face him. "I understand what I did. Don't you think I feel bad enough? However, I can clearly see something more important than this childish matter! Naraku still has yet to be defeated. So, if you would quit-"

"Quiet!" The houshi snapped suddenly, his resolve crumbling. He dropped his Shakujo to grab her shoulders roughly. "Do you think that I would be so quick to forgive something like this? Sango, you meant the world to me. Could you not see that? Didn't I make it clear enough?" She stared at him silently, her face unreadable. "Why did you choose him? Why did you doubt my sincerity?"

"Stop it!" She pulled away from him, her back scraping the tree behind them. She glared at him. "You aren't innocent, Miroku! How many times have you flirted and groped other women right in front of me? You cannot be in the presence of a woman for three seconds before you're grabbing her ass or her hands and practically _begging_ for her to bear you children! Even after I _promised_ to give you children, after I said that I would marry you!" Hearing his name from her lips... It would've been better if not spit out like poison.

"But I never did anything!"

"I'm sorry that I gave myself to him! But I had to keep my life until I could see Naraku defeated. It's not like I asked to become pregnant." His eyes narrowed at her. She crossed her arms, pain flickering across her expression before it vanished. "Why am I even letting myself fight with you? Houshi-sama, I cannot apologize for my actions. All I can do is tell you to forgive me or let go of that promise that I gave to you." She left him standing there for a moment, her words sinking in.

**XxX**

"Something tells me that they had a fight..." Kagome walked next to Inuyasha, her eyes watching the taiji-ya ahead of them. "Really...it isn't her fault. Revenge is the real reason she even allowed herself to..." A brilliant flush adorned the miko's cheeks. Inuyasha snorted.

"I'm sick of this tension. Either they make up or leave." The hanyou grumbled more about their problems but the young girl at his side stopped listening.

_Sango is really strong for handling this so calmly and rationally. I really hope that things turn out well for her. She deserves happiness and...who knows? Maybe something can come of this._

Sango felt like she had butterflies in her stomach. No matter what happened, she would not lose her child. She would give birth to it and take care of it. Alone if that was how it had to be. She had considered still marrying Miroku if he would forgive her and raising the child with him. But his reaction wasn't surprising. Inuyasha's actions the previous night had been surprising. It seemed that he had forgiven her.

"Inuyasha, how come you're able to calm the child?" She looked back at the hanyou and waited patiently for him to think of how to explain.

"My youki is similar to my brother's. As long as it feels familiar and non-threatening in any way, the child will be calm." He noticed the other question in her eyes. "And the reason why it hurts so much is because its youki overpowers you, since you don't have any. It radiates through your body, causing a reaction, which is pain. Humans aren't meant to have youki in them. When it is distressed, you will feel pain. The only thing that could stop that would be Sesshoumaru's constant presence. But that won't happen, since that asshole is-" Kagome elbowed him quite hard in the ribs, forcing him to glare at her. "My mother had a hard time, too, since my father wasn't around as much as he wanted to be." He silently thanked Myouga for explaining everything.

"I kept thinking that I was going to die..." She whispered. "And I kept thinking about all of you being angry at me and never forgiving me... I thought that I may embrace death with my child." Kagome's eyes widened. The poor taiji-ya had been tortured with thoughts of betrayal, ever since she found out? The young miko quickened her pace and set her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"It isn't your fault, Sango. We could never hold it against you." Kagome felt tears sting her eyes. "Besides, maybe this baby could change something, make a difference. Perhaps Sesshoumaru will come around..."

"The hell he will, Kagome. That bastard won't want anything to do with that brat. In fact, when he finds out, he'll probably try and kill it." Inuyasha glared at them when they stopped to look at him. "He hates me for being a hanyou, do you think he wants a hanyou child?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome got ready to yell at him for the way he was talking.

"No! I'm only telling her what's gonna happen. That asshole doesn't care about family or relationships. Don't fool yourself by believing that, deep down, he's a good person. He's not, okay?" The hanyou's eyes closed as he looked away. "It'll take more than stupid curiosity to change him." Sango looked ahead, her eyes following the path to the woods. She brought one arm protectively across her stomach.

"Well, he's going to have to live with having a hanyou child. I will never give him the life of this baby."

**XxX**

"We're going to Kaede's, dammit! I don't care what the hell you say! I'll strap you to my back if you think any different!" Inuyasha and Sango were arguing about his choice of destination and the reasoning behind it.

"Screw you, Inuyasha! I will not be treated like an invalid!" He screamed back at her about how stubborn she was, using his usual profanity that very nearly got him sat. Shippou, who had been silent about the entire situation, decided to ask Kagome for a lollipop.

"Idiot!"

"Imbecile!"

"Stupid bitch!"

"Depraved hanyou!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"No!" It would've continued for hours if not for Sango's child's sudden distress call. Her eyes went wide as she fell onto her knees, losing the strength in her legs. Inuyasha felt a little guilty but rolled his eyes to hide it. Then he kneeled down next to her and grumbled about how much of a pain in the ass she was.

"You're such an idiot. How the hell do you get knocked up by an enemy?" He pulled her into his lap and placed both hands across her stomach. The pain eased almost as soon as he flared his youki. She wanted out of his arms as soon as possible but he held her firmly. "Hold still." He continued to emit calmness through her body, easing all of her pressure and stiffness. She went limp against him, closing her eyes and falling asleep. He sighed with relief.

"Inuyasha, how is that possible?" Kagome asked quietly. "I mean, youki is destructive..."

"Not all of it. Only some of it is centered for destruction. How do you think bonding occurs? Not with destruction." He answered quietly. They would've been in real trouble if he'd never been curious about hanyou pregnancy. Miroku sighed as Inuyasha shifted Sango in his arms to stand up. "Houshi, help me put her on my back. We should get as far as we can today, while she's asleep."

**XxX**

Kagome watched her friend in concern. Sango wasn't doing well, even with Inuyasha helping her. The child was steadily becoming demanding. Sango was steadily losing the will to fight against the hanyou about their destination. The fire slowly died down as the taiji-ya closed her eyes in rest. The miko followed her and was asleep within minutes. However, Sango wasn't sleeping. She held her stomach protectively as she sat up. Looking around, she stood and went for a walk. It may have sounded like a stupid thing to do but it calmed her and eased her weariness. The deeper she got, the more her soul felt at ease. The baby relaxed ever so slightly but then spiked another distress call.

"So, taiji-ya, we meet again." The voice sent chills down her body. The calm was replaced by anger. He seemed calm but she could sense that he was ready to kill her unborn child. _Their_ unborn child.

"You will not kill my baby." He smirked, fire dancing in his amber eyes. Death was in his aura, in his youki.

"Right to the point. Very well, enough playing around." He took a step toward her but she backed up, both of her arms around her stomach. Her eyes glared though her body trembled. "That brat has no right to enter the world. It is a mistake." Sango suddenly stood upright.

"If you want to kill this child, you'll have to kill me. You will have to break that promise that was given that night." His face turned expressionless as he stood there, his hand raised to attack.

**XxX**

_Well, that's all for chapter 2! I'm really loving this fic. It is so much fun to write, considering my goal to keep them as in character as possible._

_Anyway, hope you like this one! Please, leave me a review and let me know how I did!_

_-Angel_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

The tension is growing within the group as Sango's condition becomes even more serious. Inuyasha is helping to quell the child's distress as they continue their travels. But...now Sesshoumaru has shown his face and his intentions for the child become clear as he faces Sango.

_3_

**XxX**

"Silly mortal. Do you believe that a promise is important to me?" Sesshoumaru's eyes glittered as he ran at her, going his full speed. He slammed her into a tree, one hand on her throat, the other digging into her stomach. He was held back only by the child's youki shield around its mother, protecting her. His lips twisted into a sadistic smirk. "Too weak."

"Sesshoumaru..." She stared up at him before punching him the face. "You forgot to pin my hands." His face never changed expression.

"Do you believe you can harm me with such frailty?" She unleashed a torrent of attacks on his face and his stomach. Then she kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. He didn't even seem affected. He merely closed his eyes and allowed her to vent her frustration. She screamed suddenly, her body going limp against the tree.

"Why are you such a bastard? How can you be so cruel?" He dropped her then, staring down at her with narrowed eyes. She panted from her exertion as she sat there, watching his every move.

"Stubborn woman." He drew Tokijin, fully intending to split her in two. Suddenly, she stood up and hugged him around the waist, resting her head against his chest. His heart was beating steadily. Funny, hers was pounding. He stiffened.

"You can't kill it, Sesshoumaru. You can't tell me its a mistake. _We_ made this child and _we_ will give it life." He snarled at her. She felt his hand on her back, his claws digging into her skin. "What if your father had ended your life before you were even born?" He didn't ease on his grip. Instead, it only seemed like his claws dug in deeper. "What if you were called a mistake?"

"Perhaps I was a mistake. My father did not care for me as you care for that child." His voice was cold. "If I let that child live, what will stop it from being killed?"

"I will." His claws slowly eased from her back. "I will protect this baby with my life. I will take care of the child. I will take full responsibility. It is all I have left."

"And if you die?" She eased her grip on him and looked up into his eyes.

"I refuse to die." The resolve in her eyes wasn't enough to convince him. She was a mortal woman. Her body was fragile. No matter what promises or vows she made, eventually they would prove futile.

"So you say. That child's life belongs to me, as well as yours. Until I see fit to kill you, don't you dare give in to death." She was surprised when he set his hand on her lower back and pulled her gently to his chest. He sheathed Tokijin in the earth before placing his other hand on her upper back. Then, all of her discomfort eased. Her child was settled completely, no longer defensive, no longer distressed.

"Sesshoumaru...after Naraku is defeated, will you kill us both?" He didn't answer as he let go of her and picked Tokijin up. In fact, right after that, he left her standing there alone.

**XxX**

"What were you doing here?" Sesshoumaru stopped, looking back over his shoulder. The familiar figure of his younger half-brother appeared from amongst the trees. After a moment of silence, the hanyou figured that his brother wasn't going to answer. "I take it that you know about the brat."

"The whelp is none of your concern." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Do not become attached to the thought of it, either."

"You'll kill them, then." Inuyasha's amber eyes calmly returned his sibling's glare. "Without a care, you'll kill them and spill an unborn's blood."

"My affairs are none of your concern, half-breed." His hand rested threateningly on Tokijin's hilt. Inuyasha's was on Tessaiga's hilt.

"When they come to Sango, then, yes, they are." The hanyou growled. Sesshoumaru let out a snarl that made Inuyasha stand on edge. "A little protective, are we? She didn't say she was yours..."

"That taiji-ya _is_ mine. No other male will have claim to her." The Daiyoukai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Her life and the child's life are mine. Just like yours." Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga, ready to cut off his brother's arm once again. Maybe even more after that...

"You asshole! You selfish bastard! How dare you say that to me?" They were beyond fighting. They were in the realm of hatred and murder. Suddenly, they sensed something and turned, both jumping back far enough to feel the brush of the other's clothes. "You feel that?"

"Naraku..." However, it vanished within a moment of their scrutiny. Then Sesshoumaru eased his tense muscles and began to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha yelled at his elder sibling. Before vanishing from sight, Sesshoumaru looked back over his shoulder and spoke a smooth reply.

"I've no time to be playing games. Much needs to be prepared." Pissed off at a lost opportunity to send his brother's head flying, the hanyou released a powerful Kaze no Kizu in the direction his brother disappeared in. Then he put the Tessaiga away and began to take his anger out on surrounding trees.

"Stupid bastard!" The infuriated hanyou stalked back to camp, muttering obscenities at his long-gone brother. "What's he got planned now?" He muttered. He looked over to where Sango rested. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow. Just like everyone else's. With a heavy sigh, he jumped into the tree closest to them and closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

**XxX**

Sango walked ahead, her eyes boring holes into the earth as she set their pace. Inuyasha realized that she wasn't spitting fire at him about where they were going. The hanyou felt grateful, actually. He had actually begun to wonder just how much of her mouth he could take without strangling her.

"How long until we reach the village?" The question came from Shippou, who was surprisingly walking beside Kirara. The neko seemed a bit edgy to be away from her pregnant mistress for too long.

"A few days." The hanyou muttered without pause. He recognized their surroundings. He knew exactly where they were. Kagome looked over at him before her chocolate brown eyes found Sango's figure ahead. Then she subconsciously looked behind at the houshi following quietly. The only sound that came from him was the jingling of his Shakujo.

Later on, when they stopped, the houshi requested the taiji-ya's presence in private. Sango followed wordlessly. She watched the ground and only stopped when she heard the jingling stop.

"I have thought about your words, Sango. I am sorry that I caused you more pain than you needed. It just...felt terrible." Her mahogany eyes took him in. A trace of a smile appeared on her face. "I am here when you need me and I would never forget about that promise." He was unprepared for when she ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"_Miroku_..." A grin found its way to his face as he returned her embrace. She pulled away after a moment, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." She looked down, averting her gaze.

"Sango...?"

"He... He told me that my life belonged to him. And the life of my child..." He took her by surprise when he pulled her into his arms, her back to his chest. She realized why he did that when his arms wrapped protectively around her stomach.

"This child is the future, whether it is Sesshoumaru's or not. This child's life belongs to Buddha. That is how it should be. I will protect it as I would protect my own." His words made tears sting her eyes. "I know... I know that you do not love him. Though he is needed to help you and the baby survive the pregnancy, Sesshoumaru must know this as well."

"He doesn't love me, either. But...he was possessive when he spoke of my life belonging to him. I am afraid for you, Houshi-sama. What if..." Sango didn't want to finish her sentence, much less her thought of it. He only held her tighter.

"I love you, Sango. All that matters is how you feel. I know you doubted my intentions but I am making them clear right now. You are what matters to me. You are the one most important to me." As he spoke, he felt more confident. It was her turn to let him know what she felt. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"I need more time... I'm sorry about this but...all that we've been through has changed a few things. I assure you that I...feel strongly for you." She turned around and smiled up at him. "Thank you for telling me the truth." He smiled back at her.

"I understand. Take as much time as you need, all right?"

**XxX**

"What should I do?" She looked up, her eyes narrowing at him. He folded his arms across his chest and sat down beside her. "Now..."

"Don't let that moron change your original decision. Remember, I'll fight with you." She grabbed his arm and squeezed the cloth, trying to gain some measure of comfort.

"But if he said that I was his..." Her voice was low, hopelessness tinging the tone. He pulled his arm away from her before turning to grip her shoulders.

"Sango, you're being stupid. Sesshoumaru will never, _ever_ be a father. Miroku is the best choice to raise the brat." He said, amber eyes glaring into her mahogany ones.

"But, Inuyasha, Houshi-sama won't be able to be a father if Sesshoumaru catches on..."

"What is it with you and stupid decisions?" She flinched at his tone before standing up, furious with him.

"I'm trying to do what's best for everyone! But I guess that isn't enough for you, is it?" Her voice began to raise. "This baby is Sesshoumaru's. I'm not finding it a surprise that he thinks of me as his."

"You are such a..." He shoved her, making her fall backwards, landing on her back. "Will you just listen to me for once? Only once! Sesshoumaru is a bastard, understand? Miroku is not a bastard. Do you follow where I'm leading you?" She glared at him, sitting up. "I'm not an idiot. I know how the houshi feels about you. I can tell that he isn't alone with his feelings for the relationship."

"I know all about that! Just leave it alone, will you?" He frowned when she pulled her knees up to her chest. Tears began to form in her eyes. She hid her face in her hands as she began to tremble. He could smell the tears...

"Sango..." She had fought him valiantly up until that point. He could see what the situation was doing to her. He wasn't blind to the reality that she was bringing up. Miroku wouldn't stand a chance against Sesshoumaru if by themselves. Inuyasha could hardly beat the Daiyoukai. "Listen, I know where you're coming from but you can't depend on Sesshoumaru. He could turn around and kill you on a whim."

"I know!" She screamed, looking up at him as a few tears trickled in broken lines down her face. She was pissed off. She was so angry and upset that she was crying. He knew how much she hated to cry. Just like she knew how much he hated crying women. In fact, she was the one that he could count on not to cry. "Don't you think I know all about that?" He heaved a sigh of frustration before turning his back to her.

"You know, I gave you a chance after finding out what you did. If you want to waste it and go crawling back to that bastard of a youkai, feel free. But I'm not a giving person so I won't give you another chance. Remember that." He knew it was heartless but it was the truth. She had betrayed them. Even if she hadn't meant for it to happen. She rested her forehead on her knees and hugged her legs closer to her chest as he walked away from her.

_What am I going to do...?_

After an hour passed, she hadn't come any closer to making a decision. She wouldn't go crawling to Sesshoumaru. But she wouldn't put Miroku in harm's way so that her baby could have a possible father figure. Sure, she really did like him but...he could be in danger. After all, Inuyasha wasn't lying when he told her about Sesshoumaru. The Daiyoukai was far from giving.

"Sango, we've been looking for you." Kagome ran over to her friend, her eyes shining with concern. "Are you okay?" Looking into the face of her friend, Sango couldn't help but let out her anguish.

"Not really, Kagome... Inuyasha and I haven't been getting along well and Houshi-sama is waiting for me to make a decision... Not to mention that this situation is all my fault." The taiji-ya threw her arms around the young miko, feeling her tears finally fall. "I don't know what to do..."

"You don't have to make a decision right now, Sango-chan. Just take it easy and think everything over, okay? We'll be there when you need us." Kagome ran her fingers through her friend's hair. She felt so bad for Sango. The girl could hardly make a living hunting down Naraku. But she would need money if she had to raise a baby. "We'll try our hardest to do whatever we can, okay?"

_I can't promise her what I'd like to. I can't tell her what I'd like to. Sango... I'm so sorry._

**XxX**

His eyes followed her as she stumbled into the woods, heaving blood and choking. She didn't understand the damage that the child did to her body. Yet she was determined to keep it, to bring life to it. He walked slowly over to her, his stoic mask in place.

"What do you want?" She asked, glaring up at him. She was obviously angry, possibly at him, though he had no idea why. He didn't answer. He felt that he wouldn't answer her so long as she made her questions out to be orders. "What do you want?" She repeated, her eyes never losing their glare, even when she was forced into another coughing fit.

"I do not need to answer to you, taiji-ya." He folded his arms and gave her a simple glare. "It seems as though you need something."

"I need nothing, especially if it comes from you." Her voice was hoarse but she let nothing stop her from sounding strong and defiant. He growled, moving a bit closer to her so that he was looming above her kneeling figure.

"Watch your words, girl." She gave him a look before trying to get to her feet. "It could possibly extend your life by a few precious moments."

"Why are you here? I would think that you wouldn't care about me or _our_ child, even if our lives belong to you..." He snarled and grabbed her by her hair, yanking her to her feet.

"I told you to mind yourself. You will follow whatever orders that I give to you." She gave him a defiant stare as she hung by her hair in his grasp, forced to stand on her toes.

"I haven't listened to you before so why should I start now? Is it because you're considering my death?" He realized that she was baiting him. Dropping his hold on her hair, he roughly shoved her to the ground.

"Women should keep their places. Especially you." He felt his fingers brush Tokijin's hilt before forcing his arm to remain at his side. "Why must you fight everything that is proper?" She got up on her own, surprisingly. Then she turned to leave. "Why were you out here, if not to seek help by my hands?"

"I just felt like being nice and not waking my friends with the noise that my heaving made." She took a step, aiming to leave until she was suddenly grabbed by behind and strong hands were placed on her stomach. The warmth and comfort of youki filled her body and made her legs weak. Her mind was becoming steadily clouded, as she hadn't slept well due to her child's constant distress at night.

"You fight me, knowing that I could let you die from this pregnancy." His breath was right next to her ear and it nearly made her jump. "Speaking of death, I would suggest that you turn down the houshi's advances. It would be in his best interests." She turned in his arms and stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Have you been watching me?" He stared at her impassively. He had no reason to answer her and he certainly didn't seem to be thinking of one. She glared at him before trying to get out of his grasp. "You arrogant-"

"You are mine, taiji-ya. This child says that you are mine. Our promise says that you are mine. Is there anything that I failed to inform you of?" He leaned down, his beautiful amber eyes glinting dangerously in what little light the moon provided in the trees. "Oh, I believe I did leave something out. _I_ say that you belong to me." She struggled against him.

"You self-centered bastard! Let go of me!" He backed her up against a nearby tree, his hands on her upper arms, holding her off of the ground so that she was face-to-face to him. She gritted her teeth as she felt the rough bark of the tree cut into her back. "I said-" Her words were cut off as he roughly pressed his lips to hers. The force was enough to leave a bruise but the surprise left her winded.

"Fight it all you wish, _Sango_. But you will always be mine." She felt a chill go through her body at the tone in his voice. "Always." He leaned in for another kiss. She felt her body react to him in a way that felt like betrayal. But she couldn't help it... Suddenly, she let out a squeal of pain as he bit into her lip with his sharp fangs.

"S-Sesshoumaru... Stop this..." Sango didn't want to admit it but she was losing the desire to fight him off. She could feel her body press desperately against his.

"Who are you to order me around?" There was a hint of amusement in his tone and she knew she was caught. Sesshoumaru knew she didn't want to fight his advances. The Daiyoukai glared down at her before backing off and dropping her completely. He felt slightly angered at himself for pushing that far and nearly taking her a second time.

_Who are you to make my body disobey? Taiji-ya, you are not as simple as I thought..._

Sango watched as he turned his back to her. She felt frustrated that he wouldn't finish what he started but she also felt disgusted at herself for feeling such a way.

"I will see you again tomorrow night, taiji-ya. As time passes, the whelp will become more demanding and the damage on your body will only grow worse if I do not calm it." He began to walk away, feeling her gaze as she wordlessly watched him leave. They both knew that he had made himself clear. Until he felt the need for her death, he would keep her alive. "Remember, taiji-ya, do not die." He said calmly as he vanished into the darkness. She got to her knees. He had been mocking her the entire time. And she had walked right into it. She had allowed her body to react to his. Ashamed, she pushed herself to her feet and trudged back to camp. As she rested under her blanket, she replayed every encounter she'd had with him in her head.

_No matter what I do, I can't decide. He knows about Houshi-sama... But... I don't... I can't go crawling to that damn Daiyoukai, begging for him to help me. Inuyasha would never forgive me. I would never forgive myself..._

Rolling over, she tried to clear her mind of her troublesome thoughts. Instead, she thought of that warmth that the youki had spread through her. Her eyes closed in sleep as his face slowly emerged in the mist of her mind...

**XxX**

_Well, how was that for an exciting chapter? Let's see... I'm so exciting about writing this! I have plans for this fic._

_And don't worry, my SessSan fans, I will eventually get there. Until then, you'll have to deal with their fighting. Not to mention the InuSan fighting. That isn't going to stop anytime soon with their stubborn attitudes._

_Anyway, please tell me how I did and I hope you will read on and review diligently!_

_-Angel_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sesshoumaru announced that Sango was his and that no other male would have claim to her. But as Sango thinks on her relationship with Miroku, the Daiyoukai's claim on her becomes a threat to the houshi's life.

But what about Naraku...?

_4_

**XxX**

Sango watched the trees. She listened to the wind and the footsteps of her companions; her friends. The village drew ever closer with each step they took. She was too afraid to look behind her. She was too afraid to look at _him_. The rest of the trip, she avoided not only the houshi but Inuyasha, as well. His remarks just made her blood boil to the point where she wanted to snap.

"We'll be there soon!" Kagome exclaimed cheerfully, trying to break the awkward silence. She wanted to run to the village and go home through the well. She wanted to find ways to help Sango through her pregnancy.

_Is a youkai birth the same...? Or...is it different?_

Still, it couldn't be too different. She could always ask her mother about the subject. It was then that she noticed the familiar feel of the forest.

"We're here already?" Shippou asked quietly, rubbing his eyes as he peered out from Kagome's hair. The miko smiled and nodded, pulling him into her arms and hugging him tightly. He laughed a little before solemnly looking at the others. He missed the fun times that they had. No one smiled. No one laughed. They only fought each other. He hoped that once they got to the village, the tension would clear up.

**XxX**

Kaede had no idea what to say to the young taiji-ya after hearing the story. In fact, right in the middle of the re-telling, Sango got up and left, her face devoid of emotion. She hadn't even been the one telling the story. Kagome had been the one to speak up. Miroku stood a few minutes later and slowly followed her up the path.

"Sango." She was sitting beneath the Go-Shinboku tree, her forehead resting on her knees. She lifted her head before placing it back down. "What's wrong? You have been avoiding me ever since we talked. I understand that you wanted to think but-"

"I-I can't, Houshi-sama..." She tried to sound strong as she lifted herself from the ground. "I just can't do it..." Turning away from him, she brushed her sleeve across her face, wiping away the tears that had fallen at her decision.

"What are you saying? Do you not wish to be with me?" She didn't answer but looked at him with a gaze so longing and sad that he had to turn away. "At least tell me why." He watched her struggle with her explanation. "Is it Sesshoumaru? I can protect myself, Sango. I thought-"

"You don't understand." She spoke rather firmly, trying to ease her mind by telling herself that she was making the right decision. "He isn't someone to be taken lightly. He threatened your life because of your offer. But he threatened more than that to me. I don't want to lose you, Houshi-sama." He walked closer to her and pulled her into his arms. "Houshi-sama-"

"I don't want to hear about his opinion." He sighed, wondering if she would decide in his favor. "What do _you_ want?" She wanted desperately to be held forever but she knew that she couldn't.

"Why do you still want me...? I'm...carrying another's child..." He pushed her away, holding her shoulders at arms length.

"I don't care! I can forgive something you didn't truly want. I could even forgive you if you did want it. All that matters to me is your happiness. No matter what you decide, I'll always be there." He sounded so passionate that it made her want to cry.

"Miroku..." She whispered, closing her eyes as soon as he pulled her back to his chest. "I truly wish to be with you but...he thinks that I belong to him now. I've really no choice. Until I settle the matter with him, you will have to wait for me." He didn't answer for several moments.

"I will wait, Sango. Forever, if need be."

**XxX**

The new moon was approaching fast, making Inuyasha extremely irritable. That, of course, meant that he was fighting with Sango. A lot.

"Shut up!" The taiji-ya was fuming. He had been harping at her all day to move around and to stop being lazy. "I'm pregnant, Inuyasha! I can't exactly forget about that. Right now isn't the best time!" She was beginning to feel very nauseated. She wanted to throw up so badly. Suddenly, she turned around and ran behind a tree in the forest. Inuyasha pressed his ears flat against his head and began to mumble to himself, cursing her for getting herself pregnant.

"Will you please cut that out?" He screamed, placing his hands over his sensitive ears to block out the sounds of her heaving. After a few moments, she stumbled out of the forest and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"What would you like me to do? I could do it right here in front of you..." He turned around, disgusted with her. He walked away from her without so much as a word. She closed her eyes and sighed. Why had everything been against her? Why was she the one at fault? Because she wanted to keep her life long enough to defeat Naraku?

"Forgive him for now, Sango-chan, okay?" Kagome looked upset. The miko had heard how rough Inuyasha had been getting on the taiji-ya. If it made her want to cry, she couldn't even imagine how badly Sango felt. "I know this isn't easy on you." Sango sighed.

"I know it isn't easy on him. I never even expected his forgiveness." She walked away, wanting nothing more than to be by herself.

_**"I am ugly... How could you want to take me?" He dressed himself, facing away from her so that all that she saw was his curtain of silver hair.**_

_**"Taiji-ya, if it is because of that scar, then stop your whining. Scars are honorable. They are there to remind you of a battle survived, perhaps even victorious. It will fade with time and, possibly, become no more than a memory." He pulled on his armor. "Even if it was gained with pain and sadness, it is still there for a reason." It was the most he had said to her. "If it helps, ugly is not a word I would use to describe you." With that, he left her alone in the hot spring, fading in the swirling mists as though he were never there.**_

"Sesshoumaru..." She felt almost like crying. Her situation was going from bad to worse, especially since Inuyasha seemed to like screaming his lungs out at her. She just wished she could erase her mistakes. She wished that she hadn't allowed him to take her. Sesshoumaru's eyes still made her curious. He had looked right at her in every encounter since. Before that, he had looked beyond, even through, her.

"You called, taiji-ya?" His deep voice made chills run down her spine.

"Sesshoumaru, why must you put me through hell just because you want my life?" He didn't answer her. He merely emerged from the trees next to her. "I know you don't need me or even want me anymore. So, why do I have to remain alone through this pregnancy?"

"This is concerning the houshi, is it not?" She stiffened at the cold tone. "I believe I told you of that situation." He stepped closer before pausing. "Must I repeat myself?"

"No." She stated bitterly. He smirked at her tone before continuing his journey over to her. "Stay away from me. You don't want me or need me so why continue to come around?"

"The child will eventually kill you. Do you wish to die before defeating Naraku?" He asked, his voice piercing. His answer was a chilling glare.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I will not die?" A small trace of a smirk was evident on his face. "And don't you dare look at me like I am a fool! I've worked hard up until you ruined everything! Why should I just sit back and accept the fact that you think that I am yours?"

"Taiji-ya." His voice was cold. Much colder than she was used to. "I do not think that you are mine. I know that you are mine. You belong to me, just as your life does. It matters not if you accept it." She moved away from him, her eyes wide.

"Yes, it does! My opinion matters, whether you like it or not." She snapped, feeling her baby beginning to spike its youki. "You mean next to nothing to me. I can never willingly be yours." He surprised her by taking her arm and pulling her to him. The child calmed immediately.

"You willingly allowed me to take you. You promised your life to me willingly. You also choose to keep my child, to give birth to my child. What makes you fight me so?" His voice was low, almost threatening.

"My heart..." She whispered. "I don't love you, Sesshoumaru. I probably never will." Tears stung at her eyes as she allowed herself to wrap her arms around him, drawing in his warmth. "I am sorry but...I can never be yours."

"Love is what keeps you away, then?" He asked quietly. "What a ridiculous lie. Love does not exist within this world. Stop being naive and follow my orders. Stop this foolish rebellion."

"Love does so exist!" She pulled away from him slightly before looking up into his eyes. He was staring away from her, as he used to. "I love my brother and I love my family. I will love them until the day I die! I love my friends and nothing can change that!" He pushed her completely away from him.

"Those feelings are not love. You needed your family up until their deaths. After they were gone, you needed your friends. Love is nothing but a fairy tale." His voice was emotionless, dead. She suddenly learned a bit more about the mysterious Daiyoukai.

"No one has ever loved you... Wait a second, Rin loves you."

"She needs me." He argued. The reason he was so expressionless was that no one ever taught him love. His father, Inu no Taishou, probably wasn't around enough to show him what it truly meant. That or Sesshoumaru never adapted to a concept that was foreign.

"Sesshoumaru-" He turned around and began to walk away. She chased after him, throwing her arms around him from behind. "Try and understand what it means..."

"I do not follow orders." He stated harshly. She let go of him suddenly before staring at him with a small smile on her face.

"It's advice. It wasn't an order." Without another word, he turned and left her standing there. She merely watched him go, sadness welling up inside of her. If his father had been around...if he had learned more about the concept of the emotion he called a fairy tale...

_Perhaps if he could understand what it means then..._

**XxX**

"Sango..." Kagome reached out and pulled her friend to the side. "Come with me. We could use a good chat. Besides, I think we could use a bath." Sango smiled at her, grateful that the miko had broken the ever-present tension.

"Sounds good, Kagome." They hadn't had much of a chance to talk since Sango had returned to the group. "I thought you might have gone back to your home already." Kagome laughed and shook her head.

"No, I figured that I'd stay a couple more days... I wanted to make sure Inuyasha calmed down." The taiji-ya frowned and remained silent until they got to the hot spring.

"To be honest with you... I don't think he's going to calm down about this. I don't blame him, either. It's just... I wish that he'd tone down the insults that he throws at me." Her mahogany eyes sparkled with sadness and glittered with unshed tears. "He's proven to me that he's giving me another chance. I just don't want him to change his mind." She quickly shed her clothing before climbing into the spring. Kagome followed her example.

"I really can't say as to why he's been acting out so much. I wish I could tell you that everything will turn out for the best..." The miko frowned and reached out to put her hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"I know you can't say it. I know that and yet... I am hoping that things turn out for the best. I always will remain praying." Suddenly, Sango dove under the water before coming up on the other side of the spring. Then she laughed quietly. Kagome raised a brow at her. "I was just thinking about how perfect that little hot spring was in Sesshoumaru's territory. Perhaps I could test my limits and visit it again soon!" They both laughed as they cleaned off.

"So, how was he?" Sango blushed bright red and ducked her head underwater.

"Kagome!"

"What? I'm just curious!"

"Well..."

"Come on, we're both girls here!" Kagome exclaimed with a grin. "I was just...wondering."

"As long as you keep it to yourself!" Sango's face burned and it wasn't from the warm temperature of the water. "Amazing... It was so exciting and he surprised me by actually being gentle. Well...for the most part..." There was a long pause before she quietly admitted something. "My first time could've been worse..."

"Really..." They shared a look before laughing and continuing to talk.

**XxX**

"I'm fucking sick of this!" Inuyasha raised his voice, his amber eyes bright with anger. He paced the floor as Miroku watched him quietly. "She keeps going off into the woods to see him. I mean, I know he's the only one that can calm the brat but I don't want to keep sensing that asshole's youki." The houshi gave him a look.

"You just don't like the fact that they're alone together out there." Miroku muttered, his voice dropping lower. Inuyasha halted and glared back at his _companion_. The _companion_ that seemed to be pushing his buttons.

"They wouldn't be alone if you had stopped being such a damn lecher! Then she never would've doubted you."

"Perhaps then she wouldn't be alive." The hanyou hated the houshi for being right.

"This is ridiculous! I want to just rip his fucking head off!" The bloodthirsty hanyou was pissed beyond belief. Miroku wasn't sure that he was helping the situation, either.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. It will do no good to throw a tantrum now. We've got to focus on Naraku or else we might not be alive long enough to see Sango become a mother." The houshi had to face facts. The deranged hanyou had to be defeated before Sango could no longer fight. That left them a limited time. "You might just have to deal with Sesshoumaru accompanying us. He could possibly come in handy during the fight."

"Like hell I will!"

"Inuyasha, what the hell are you screaming about now?" Sango walked in with her hands on her hips. She had a calm look on her face yet there was an angry look in her eyes. "If you can't settle down then I'll do it for you." He snarled at her before storming outside. Kagome rolled her eyes before chasing after him.

"Sango." Miroku watched as she slowly turned to face him. "You have spoken to him."

"Nothing has changed... No matter what I say, he's still...so damn possessive. Why, I have no idea." She sighed and sat down across from him, running her fingers through her damp hair.

"Might I ask if he would possibly join us...?" The taiji-ya looked at him as though he had just told her that the world turned into cheese and that Naraku was nothing more than a mutant monkey.

"Inuyasha just stormed out of here because of Sesshoumaru. At least, that's my guess. Do you think those two could be around each other for two seconds without violence involved?" He sighed.

"It was worth a thought..." She gave him a look.

"Let me do the thinking from now on." He smiled slightly before leaning back. They had a lot to work through. "I just hope that we can find a trace of Naraku before I'm unable to fight. You do realize that we're running out of time."

"Of course I have. But no matter how much I tell him, Inuyasha doesn't seem to listen." The houshi was at his limit. "What should we do?"

"I might just have to fight with Inuyasha a bit more." Miroku raised a brow before imagining the outcome.

"That would only force more problems." She was silent for a moment before laughing.

"I thought I told you to leave the thinking to me."

**XxX**

Inuyasha stormed out of the hut, not wanting to waste his precious breath fighting with the taiji-ya. He heard someone following but he knew it was only the peace-keeper, Kagome. She tackled him from behind, holding him securely around the waist.

"Stop fighting with her. Please..." He said nothing for a long moment, wanting only to remain silent. "She didn't mean for any of this to happen and you know that. Stop being so stubborn and accept what's been done! After all, we have more important things to worry about. Naraku still has to be dealt with." He lowered his eyes to the ground. That was one of the reasons for his irritability.

"I can't find him. It's...like his scent just vanished." Kagome pulled away and walked around so that she was facing him.

"What do you mean? He couldn't have just..." She looked away, realizing the gravity of the situation. Was Naraku sitting out because he was waiting for something to happen? There was only one of them that was struggling with time. "Still... We have to find him no matter what."

"I know that. But we're at a stand-still and there's nothing I can do about that." He raised his gaze just a fraction, still hesitant to look at her. "He should've been defeated by now."

"All we can do is continue our search. If we sit in this village any longer... It might wind up being too late." He bit his lip before meeting her eyes. She smiled at him, still as forgiving as ever. "Come on. We can leave tomorrow." She held her hand out to him and he turned around, walking back the way they came. Watching him disappear, Kagome let out a soft sigh.

_What else would I expect? He is, after all, Inuyasha._

So, she ran to catch up with him.

**XxX**

_Well, Naraku is still hesitant to show any sign of himself. How far will our group have to go before they catch even a hint as to where he is?_

_I've got some major plans that are to be set in action soon. So, just sit back and continue your journey!_

_Thanks for sticking with me! I hope you like this as much as I do!_

_And I am always watching for your opinions so just let me know how I'm doing. Thanks a ton!_

_-Angel_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sesshoumaru doesn't believe in love after Sango confesses why she always fights him. As days continue to pass, the group feels not only the tension but the aggravation of the question that haunts them as they try to find Naraku. Will they find so much as a trace in the limited time they have?

_5_

**XxX**

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Where have you been all this time? I missed you!" Rin ran at him, stopping just before she crashed into his legs. The little girl had an adoring smile on her face that made the Daiyoukai turn away.

"Come." The single word launched those in his group into travel mode. Rin got onto Ah-Un and Jaken led the dragon along as he followed his lord and master. Jaken disliked the scent of his lord. It was mixed with a human's but there was no blood scent.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, are we not behind? We should head back to the West-"

"Jaken." The Daiyoukai's voice was harsh. That meant that the youkai had to shut up or else meet with Tokijin, not Tenseiga.

"Are we going anywhere with flowers, my lord?" Rin asked with a bright smile. Her face lit up in curiosity. "You seem a little down, Sesshoumaru-sama. Perhaps there is someone you are missing?" Choosing not to argue with his 'followers,' Sesshoumaru remained quiet. The little girl was confused by his silence but decided not to bother him. She sighed. The trip was going to be boring...

**XxX**

"Shut up!" Kagome screamed, her eyes blazing with anger. Somehow, everything went wrong and Inuyasha was fighting with Kagome. The miko was pissed as she whirled around to exit the house. "Sit!" Inuyasha slammed to the ground as Kagome grabbed her bag and pulled it over her shoulder. She said nothing as she left, only to be chased by Sango. The taiji-ya waited until she noticed her friend pause at the well. "I'll be back in a few days, okay? Don't worry." With that, the miko jumped in. Sango felt her tense muscles ease as she walked slowly over to the well and sat against it.

"How did things wind up like this...?" She asked herself quietly. The bright sun shone through the clouds, bringing light to the shadows. "We were supposed to leave..." Her legs felt cramped so she stretched them out.

"She left, huh?" The taiji-ya was surprised to see Inuyasha walk into the clearing. She nodded.

"I think you should give her some time to cool off. She'll be back soon." He sat down on the other side of well, his back also pressed against the wood.

"You feel up to travelling?" She wouldn't take the question as one of concern.

"Yes...but for how long, I have no idea. That's why we have to leave as soon as possible." They were silent for a few minutes.

"I'll go for her tomorrow." The hanyou got up and left her alone, surprising her by not even attempting to fight.

Later on in the evening, Sango opened her eyes and sat up, surprised that she had fallen asleep so carelessly by the well. The well's aura was just so calming, just like Inuyasha's Go-Shinboku tree. She was just about to stand when she felt it.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was unforgiving; cold. He walked into the light of the moon and gave her a look.

"I will not allow you to die before I wish it so." She scoffed before standing up and brushing her kimono off. "Come here." Her mahogany eyes narrowed at him. Fury swept through her like a tidal wave.

"How dare you command me in such a way?" They were by no means on good terms. They were both irritated, fed up, and a step beyond hatred with each other. "I'm leaving. I see no point in being around you."

"Taiji-ya." Sango turned away from him and began walking back to the village. She was beyond trying to put up with anything. She was through with him.

"Youkai." She knew for a fact that it would piss him off. He was Daiyoukai and he hated to be classed with those that were not. Before she could move another step, he was in front of her, shoving her to the ground. She glared up at him angrily. With agility she had practiced hard for, she got to her feet and landed a punch right to his face. He merely grabbed her arm and threw her back to the ground, this time holding her down by sitting on her stomach with his hands on her wrists. "Let me up _now_!" She was pissed off beyond belief at his audacity.

"Insolent wench. I have told you more than enough to watch your words." She continued to glare at him. Sesshoumaru had never been one to fully lose his patience but it seemed like the woman beneath him was capable of that feat.

"I said let me up!" Her voice was tight. She struggled, even trying out a move she hadn't done in a while just to get him off of her. But he was sitting too far up on her stomach to do it correctly. "_Now_, Sesshoumaru!" He snarled at her, baring his fangs out of pure rage. She was giving him orders? Not happening. Sango felt his body tense. His eyes were narrowed in anger. There was no doubt that she was boardering his limit.

"Who are you to give _me_ orders?" He leaned down, his mouth right next to her ear. She squirmed, wanting nothing more than to go back to the village, to go back to bed. Her child was starting to protest against the danger levels of the argument. "Fool."

"Get off!" She screamed as she arched her body, her legs colliding with his back enough to knock him forward. He twisted and gripped her tighter instead of letting go.

"Dare you even attack me?" His voice was guttural. She could tell that he wanted badly to rip her throat out. "Stop fighting me!" He was close to transforming. There was no way that she would quit fighting... She continued to struggle as he licked the side of her face. "You're sweating. You are frightened?"

"No." Desperate for what she wanted, she brought her head up quickly and forcefully to meet his. For a split second, his grip loosened and she suddenly wrenched her arms free before she threw him off of her. Her head was spinning but she knew she had to get away from him. He caught her and forced her to the ground again, his eyes red. The cold, calm amber was gone. Her child spiked its youki and then she knew she was in trouble. "S-Sesshoumaru!" He bared his fangs and snarled at her. His claws were digging into her wrists, drawing blood. The scent only drove him deeper into bloodlust. "Please..." Her stomach hurt badly, nausea beginning to creep into her body. She turned her head and started coughing. She tasted blood and her vision went completely blurry. Suddenly, her chest felt lighter and she was able to move. She got to her feet and ran to the woods, collapsing and heaving the contents of her stomach onto the lush ground. After a few minutes, she slowly went back into the clearing to find Sesshoumaru kneeling on the ground. The closer she got, the worse her pain got.

"Taiji-ya..." He looked over at her, narrowing his blood red eyes. His breathing was slowing down and his jagged markings began to smooth back to normal. The last to change were his eyes. Her pain was bad, terrible, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the Daiyoukai. That night, she had tasted fear. He had forced her to be scared. He had made her completely and utterly terrified. When he recovered, he pulled her to him much gentler than he had previously. He calmed the child and even checked what he had done to her.

"Sesshoumaru." She looked up at him with resolve in her eyes. "I want you to stop telling me that I am yours. Until the moment you decide to take me away from this world, my life belongs to me." He said nothing as he let her go. Without a word or even a second glance, he vanished. She knew he wouldn't listen to her order... She just knew it.

**XxX**

"Did the sex get a little wild last night, taiji-ya?" Inuyasha asked her the next morning, causing the others to flinch and look at her in curiosity. Sango slapped the hanyou so hard that it sent him to floor. Her mahogany eyes glittered dangerously.

"You depraved pervert! How low will you sink before you realize that I haven't slept with him since?" He glared up at her, amber eyes narrowed as he snarled. The instant she saw his fangs, her demeanor changed completely. Miroku looked concerned as she suddenly excused herself. After she was gone, the houshi whacked Inuyasha on the head with his Shakujo.

"What were you thinking when you said such a thing?" Rubbing his head, the hanyou sulked and looked away.

"That's what I _was_ thinking, houshi!" He watched the doorway wearily. "She didn't have to hit me so hard..."

"Did you really smell..."

"No, but her wrists were cut up. Looked like claw punctures. I've seen them more often than anyone else." Inuyasha scratched his head as he stood up. "I just thought I'd fire her up a bit. Sesshoumaru must've done something last night."

"She looked almost afraid..." Miroku bit his lip in concern. Were things getting out of hand between the two? "Should you watch them tonight?"

"He might catch me there. Besides, I've got no interest to see their interactions." Though he spoke indifferently, he was wondering what was going on. If things were fine and peachy, then why did Sango look freaked out? She had gotten hardly any sleep that night. He heard her crying, though he would keep it to himself. However hard it was for him to accept, he knew that she was going through a lot. All he could do was push her harder, make her struggle to gain the strength to stand up to his elder brother. Those cuts...

"I am concerned for her safety." The houshi wouldn't give up until Inuyasha agreed to go and spy on her. However, the hanyou was having none of that.

"Ask her if you want but I am not getting involved in their affairs. My opinions don't matter to her." With that, he walked out to go and get Kagome. "Get ready to leave!"

Sango remembered the feeling of soft lips pressed against her own. Perfect skin beneath her fingers; soft flesh no matter where she placed them. She bit back a sob as his image the night before entered her mind. It was far from pleasant. Her eyes went to the marks his claws left behind on her wrists. She had gotten them to stop bleeding...

"Would you like to talk about it?" Her eyes went wide as she turned her head to find Miroku standing behind her. His face held a look of concern and his violet eyes were focused on her wrists. She quickly moved her hands and stood, smiling slightly.

"This isn't something you need to worry about, Houshi-sama. I'll be fine." He knew she was right. How much had she actually taken up until then? She had yet to break.

"Of course." He cleared his throat before turning to go back to the village. "Inuyasha went to get Kagome. He told me to be ready to leave." She ran ahead of him, as though to tell him that she had forgotten to gather her things. He followed behind her.

**XxX**

"Well, ladies..." There were plenty of giggles heard to drown out his statements. The group was less than surprised to find that he was charming the village women.

"Does this ever cease to happen?" Sango asked quietly, looking away with red tinting her cheeks. A woman had leaned toward the houshi, the top of her kimono loosening to expose some flesh. "Can we just leave?" Truth be told, the taiji-ya was worn out. Her baby was stressing again. Big surprise there...

"Sango, you don't look well. We really don't need to go any further. Besides, it's nearly dark anyway." Kagome's soothing voice made the taiji-ya's stress ease away. "At least we'll have a good meal and a nice place to sleep."

"You're right..." Though, the weariness in her face only increased as Miroku let out another deep laugh. Sometimes, she wished that she could still get angry at him. She knew she couldn't because she had been the first to betray him.

"Are you just gonna let him flirt with them like that?" Inuyasha whined, pressing his ears flat against his head as though to block out the sound of the houshi's womanizing.

"I can't...say anything..." Kagome watched sadly as the taiji-ya left without a word to Miroku.

She walked to the edge of the forest, just outside of the village. All she wanted was to be alone. Her baby spiked a distress call, letting her know that it was nightfall and its father had not yet come.

"I know, I know..." She spoke quietly, rubbing her hand softly across her abdomen. "Please don't do this to me right now..."

"That child will not understand your pathetic orders." Great. The last person in the entire universe that she wanted to see and he just happened to be there.

"Are you stalking me?"

"Have I not made myself clear? The whelp will continue to call out for me due to stress." She stared at him in confusion.

"Why is the baby stressed without you?"

"My youki is the only thing sustaining your weak excuse of a womb. When my youki fades each night, it becomes unfamiliar to the child. Therefore it calls out in distress. Your weak body cannot take the flow of youki purging your system." His amber eyes narrowed in irritation. How did he get stuck explaining such things to the woman?

"So... I really do need you..." She whispered despondently. As much as she loved him, Miroku wouldn't stop womanizing...and she'd already hurt him enough. Perhaps her best option wasn't the houshi. But she just couldn't go to Sesshoumaru. Without waiting for him to move, she walked forward and wrapped her arms around him.

_I just need...to be held..._

Sesshoumaru put his arms around her and flared his youki until he no longer felt the distress from the child. Even after he was finished, Sango remained in his arms. He briefly detected the scent of tears but it was gone before he even fully realized it. Finally, she pulled away and kept her eyes on the ground.

"I guess...I will see you tomorrow night." He turned and walked away from her. She wondered what he told Rin and Jaken before he disappeared on them, if he even told them. She began her journey back to the village.

**XxX**

"Miroku, you're an inconsiderate jerk!" Kagome fumed when the women left. The houshi stared at her in shock. "How could you do such a thing?" The miko got up and dug through her bag. "Inuyasha, I'm going to ask the inn keeper if there's a bath house I can use. I'll be back in a bit." As soon as she filled her arms with her clothes and soaps, she left the room in a huff.

"You had to go and piss them off, didn't you?" Sango had left a little while ago and had yet to return. "Now they're gonna be miserable and I'm gonna have to deal with their bitching!"

"Inuyasha..." Miroku sighed. It was how the houshi had always been. How could he change such old habits? Did they expect such a thing from him?

"I'm gonna go for a walk. I need all the peace and quiet I can get."

Some time later, Sango walked back in, her eyes downcast and her body rigid. She didn't look up but collapsed onto the bed that she knew was hers.

_So...tired..._

"Sango?" She rolled over and opened her eyes, gazing in the general direction of the voice. Noticing Miroku, she suddenly sat up, an angry flush adorning her face.

"W-What are you doing?" He frowned at her, sighing as he stood.

"I suppose you would like to be left alone." His violet eyes shifted to the floor. "I will see you in the morning."

"H-Houshi..." Hearing such a thing drip from her lips made him cringe.

"I apologize for-"

"Don't." He heard anger and defeat in her voice. "Don't apologize to me. I am the one that sinned; I broke the promise. You may do as you wish. I bind you no longer." Nearly dropping the Shakujo, the houshi whirled around in shock to find her staring at him with a blank frown on her face. She had obviously thought about it. "We are no longer promised to each other."

"B-But... Sango..." She lowered her head, her face becoming obstructed by the shadow that her bangs cast. "I thought that-"

"No longer, Houshi-sama. I cannot allow you to remain bound to me when you do not wish it so." After that, she resumed her position and closed her eyes. He left. There was nothing else he could say to her. He couldn't force her to remain promised to him. It was her decision alone that kept them together.

"Sango..." He let out a sigh, finding the night oddly cold as he stared up at the bright face of the moon.

**XxX**

Kagome wasn't sure whether or not it was the womanizing of the perverted houshi that led the taiji-ya to her startling declaration or if it was the persuasion of her nightly visitor. Though, she could clearly see how much influence Sesshoumaru had over Sango. Which...was close to none.

"Is she insane? What the hell is she going to do now? Raise the brat on her own?" Inuyasha muttered, watching the form of the lone taiji-ya as she walked ahead of them.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Of any woman that I've ever met, she is the most independent." Kagome whispered, her chestnut brown eyes narrowing in thought. "I do feel for her, though. She's been through so much already and she isn't even twenty."

"This was like her coming of age. She needed to feel the pain, the agony, in order to become who she is." They were surprised to find that Miroku was right behind them, listening. "I cannot blame her for wanting to pull through alone. You know how she is, Inuyasha." The hanyou scoffed.

"It's her choice. As long as she doesn't give in to my bastard of a brother, then she's fine." He was still adamant about the relationship between the two. If anything happened that pushed them closer, he would forever scorn Sango for her terrible decision, for her betrayal. Sango continued walking, oblivious to the conversation going on behind them. Her eyes were blank of any emotion except for hatred. She would defeat Naraku before Sesshoumaru took her life. She would see the evil hanyou defeated no matter the cost.

_Kohaku... I will avenge you and Father and the others. I will never let Naraku take so much from anyone else..._

Naraku had certainly taken enough away from everyone in the group. Speaking of the group, she felt their eyes on her back the entire time. She felt the way they watched her. She knew what Inuyasha thought of her decision.

_Don't worry, Inuyasha. I don't break my word as easily as you might think. Hell itself will freeze over before I give myself willingly to your brother._

It was drastic but she doubted that she would be alive long enough to even grow a shred of love towards the Daiyoukai.

"Love..._is_ a fairytale..." Even though she whispered it, someone still heard it. His ear twitched as a small smirk adorned his face. Inuyasha had every intention to believe that Sango would remain alone. Perhaps for the rest of her existance.

**XxX**

_So, any hopes of a relationship between Sango and Miroku is gone...right? Now, the next step is to focus on the intended pairing of this fic. I have every intention of starting on that as soon as I deem it appropriate. Because, after all, they are both as stubborn as brick walls._

_So, let me know what you think and please continue to read on!_

_If you have any questions about any of my other fics then you can consult my profile or just ask me. A lot has been going on with them and updates are slow, I understand. But I have a ton of stuff going on. Thanks for being so patient and I hope to update soon!  
_

_-Angel_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango and Miroku are finished as a couple. Sango knows that she needs Sesshoumaru to survive the pregnancy but she refuses to yield to his demands to be his. They once more resume their journey to find Naraku before time consumes them.

_6_

**XxX**

"It's obvious we don't know where we're going!" Inuyasha screamed, his eyes narrowed in anger and his ears pressed flat against his head. "I haven't even gotten a whiff of that bastard yet! And you haven't sensed anything in the last five days!" Kagome was glaring right back at the hanyou, with every intention to 'sit' him.

"Well, that isn't my fault! I've been trying my best to locate his shards but I haven't gotten anything! Besides, _you're_ the one that said to go this way." She yelled right back, poking him with her finger. He scoffed at her angry words.

"Guys! You're not helping!" Sango had her head in her hands, rubbing her temples to try and rid herself of her headache. She felt sick and wanted only some peace and quiet but it looked like she wasn't getting it. "I think I'd be better off going back to Kaede's village..." All day she had felt nausea seeping into her body. Her head was pounding and she could hardly see straight. Apparently, Sesshoumaru had skipped a couple nights. She bit her lip and stood on her feet. "I'm going back... I can't take much more of this." Kagome turned, feeling suddenly guilty.

"Inuyasha, let's go with her. What if something were to happen?" The hanyou folded his arms across his chest.

"All right, I guess. This time we can go the other way and see if we have any more luck." He didn't look happy at the decision but they really had no choice. Sango and Miroku took Kirara while Inuyasha, Shippou, and Kagome all traveled together on the hanyou.

**XxX**

Back at the village, Sango slept for at least a day while the others went without her, at her request. Kirara refused to leave her mistress alone again. The taiji-ya began to look at her stomach now as she dressed in her kimono. It was obvious to her that she was pregnant. She could see it. After a few days, she grew rather restless and the pain was slowly growing. By this time, it was over a month, possibly two. She decided to do some traveling on her own and bid Kaede good bye.

"Come on, Kirara." It took them a little while to reach her village but she paid her respects and stayed there for a little while. Her mind drifted back to Naraku. When would the hanyou come out of hiding?

_If only I could figure it out... Wait a minute, he did this before. At Mt. Hakurei. But he came out of hiding. He jeopardized himself in doing so but...still, we lost. What could drag him out now? Something big has to happen._

Kirara looked up from the taiji-ya's lap when her mistress suddenly stopped scratching her ear.

"Dammit..." Her glare was fierce as she looked out over the barren field. "This is so stupid, Kirara! I hate this waiting!" She wanted to be with her friends but her condition would only hinder them. Her eyes gazed out from her position on her hill. "This...isn't fair..."

"Mew..." Kirara gently rubbed her head against Sango's stomach and began purring. Sango smiled and scratched her ear again.

"You hate it, too, don't you?" Her voice was soft as she looked back up at the sky. If something could only trigger Naraku...

**XxX**

"I'm worried about Sango." Shippou whined. He hated leaving the taiji-ya behind now that he knew she could possibly die from her condition. Inuyasha said nothing, merely staring ahead of them. He didn't want to think of what could happen to the taiji-ya.

"Why did Sesshoumaru stop coming to see her?" Miroku asked the hanyou, his violet eyes intense as he stared at the back of his friend's head.

"Hell if I know. My guess would be that he's got something in mind. Maybe he wants to test how resistant she is to death. She keeps saying she's not gonna die. But this...it's different." Kagome could sense his worry. Even though he didn't want to show it, he was concerned for Sango. She could hardly last a couple of nights...what if Sesshoumaru didn't go back to her the entire time they were apart?

_Is he making her seek him out, instead? Sesshoumaru...what the hell are you thinking?_

It bugged the hanyou until he quit thinking about it altogether. He debated on how to drag Naraku out of hiding. There was probably only one way to do that and it was to find him.

**XxX**

_**"Sango!" Kohaku peered at her excitedly. "Are you really gonna have a baby? Did you tell Miroku-san yet?" Sango smiled as she finished brushing her hair.**_

_**"No, not yet. He will be happy, won't he?" She braided her hair rather quickly as she stood. Looking into her brother's freckled, beaming face, she figured that he thought the houshi would be happy.**_

_**"Who wouldn't, Ane-ue? I've never seen Otou-san so excited before." The young taiji-ya looked up into the face of his sister. "I'm really proud that you're going to have a family, too!"**_

_**"That's wonderful!" She set her hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "I'm just relieved that everyone took to Miroku."**_

_**"He really won everyone over, didn't he?" She sighed as she remembered when she brought the houshi to her village. "Oh! Come on! We've gotta meet Otou-san!" Kohaku grabbed her hand and ran out of the room.**_

Sango sat up, her eyes wide and her face pale. It had felt so real. Kohaku's hand had grabbed hers. His hair had felt real beneath her fingers.

"K-Kirara?" Her bright mahogany eyes searched the darkness around her. It wasn't even morning yet. Her neko was curled up next to her stomach, purring in her sleep. Upon finding her companion, she eased herself back to sleep.

**XxX**

The wind blew across the barren village, bringing many new scents to the neko's nose. The flowers in the field were blooming and many travelers passed by the village. Her glittering red eyes went back to her mistress. Sango was irritated as she attempted to fix up one of the houses. She glared at the board that had fallen over on the ground, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"I should just give up!" She threw her tools on the ground. "I'm so sick of this!" Her stomach was in such turmoil that every time she tried to hold a board, she would get a sharp pain and drop it. But she was so bored! It had been at least three days since she got to the village. Nothing drastic had happened and nothing big and life-threatening sought her out. She half-wished that some lesser youkai or even a powerful one would pass by the village and attack her. Deciding that she had to have action and that she was getting restless, she gathered up her things. Then she bid good bye to her family and friends, once again paying respects before leaving. "Ready, Kirara?" The taiji-ya didn't have to ask twice before the neko was transformed and ready to leave. She decided that maybe she should seek out Naraku on her own, that way she wouldn't hinder her friends. However, if he showed himself, she would definitely let her friends know by going to them and letting them know exactly where he was.

_Something has to change. I can't just sit around. My mobility will only get worse and, soon, I won't be able to fight at all._

She was beginning to get used to the pain of the child's youki. Or...she was getting used to the dull ache. The hard stuff was definitely something she couldn't get used to, especially since they seemed to be getting worse. But she wouldn't seek him out. Not until she was on the brink of death.

Hours on the neko was getting to the taiji-ya. Or, rather, her legs. She had Kirara stop by a river so that she could stretch and her neko could take a break. Taking her water bottle that Kagome had given her, she filled it and took a long drink.

"So much better!" She stiffened suddenly and unhooked Hiraikotsu from her back. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed a group of youkai behind her. Kirara, still transformed, let out a battle cry as her mistress unleashed her large bone boomerang. Hiraikotsu took out the first with ease but the others were then aware of the weapon and side-stepped it's return. She dodged the blade of a rusted katana before catching her weapon and using it as a shield to ward off the sudden barrage of attacks.

"Onna! Give us your blood!" Blocking with her left arm, she used her right to pull out her wakizashi. She let the sheathe fall to the ground as she ran at them, shoving them back with her boomerang before engaging them in swordplay. She tried to ignore the pain of the baby's distress as she fought them back. Noticing the bloodthirsty eyes of the nearest youkai, she made a conclusion that they were there for a reason. Were they Naraku's youkai? They weren't fighting her all-out. They weren't using full strength to overcome her. It almost seemed like they were stalling. But...for what?

"Get away!" She screamed as she slashed at the nearest one's weapon, sending it flying out of his hand. She then proceeded to slash at him, splitting him right down the middle. Blood showered over her and the remaining youkai. Two down...

_One... Two... Three... Four... Four left._

"Hiraikotsu!" She swung it out with her left hand, surprising the youkai next to her as she whirled around to block a blow from behind. Kirara managed to sneak in on the youkai before he recovered and bit his neck, severing the veins and allowing the blood to flow freely as he fell to the ground. Sango pushed with her wakizashi, gritting her teeth against the pain in her stomach. She could hear Hiraikotsu's wind as it returned. At the last second, she rolled out of the way and watched as her opponent's middle was severed from his lower body. Her mahogany eyes searched for those remaining.

_Two to go._

She managed to dodge a surprise attack, rolling on the ground. Her hair fell from the cut ribbon, proving just how close he came to achieving his goal. But what was his goal? She jumped to her feet and held up her wakizashi, countering his attack. Blade met blade. Mahogany met dull black. Those eyes... She jumped away and winced. There was no wound but there was a baby in her womb that was wailing with fear and distress. It sensed danger.

"Give us your blood." Suddenly, a blade was pressed to her neck as she was grabbed from behind. She shifted her blade so that it was backwards and leaned her lower body away as she plunged the wakizashi into her captor's abdomen. His grip eased and he slumped, his blade lightly cutting her throat. She then faced the final youkai. "What the hell are you...?" He bared his fangs and lunged for her. She sidestepped him but tripped over the body of the dead youkai and wound up on the ground. "Foolish woman. You will not defeat me." He was suddenly above her, ready to impale her with his katana. She rolled away, the blade catching only her side. He managed to knock her wakizashi away and was once again ready to connect his blade to her skin. The taiji-ya pulled her arms up in defense and sprung her hidden blades, feeling the pressure as she countered his move. Quickly jumping to her feet, she faced him without fear.

"You will never take my life. I will not die." She lunged for him, catching his arm with her blade before he swung at her. He caught her arm and drew a bit more blood. The scent of blood already littered the air from his companions. Sango narrowed her eyes. Right behind her was Hiraikotsu. And behind her foe was Kirara, ready to strike. As the taiji-ya attacked, the neko leaped onto the back of the youkai, sinking her teeth into his shoulder and neck. Blood splattered as Sango severed his hand from his body. Realizing death was upon him, the youkai let out a feral shriek. The taiji-ya looked away as Kirara sunk her teeth in deeper and jerked, breaking his neck. "Come on, Kirara. We've got to find the others. Who knows if they're under attack, as well?" After gathering up her things, she changed into her taiji-ya uniform and bundled up her traveling clothes. She would not be caught by surprise.

The air was refreshing after the battle. However, the taiji-ya wasn't thinking about the air or even about her recent battle with the six youkai. They weren't fun to deal with in her condition but the situation couldn't be helped. At least her wish was granted. She was no longer bored. Kirara moved suddenly to the side, avoiding the attack of a large bird youkai. It also had a rider upon its back.

"Taiji-ya..." The face of the youkai wasn't familiar but she knew then that it was one of Naraku's. So many were pursuing her. Was Naraku making a move or was he just trying to eliminate them so that he didn't have to deal with them? Or...were her friends close to him? Narrowing her eyes, she prepared for battle.

**XxX**

Inuyasha unleashed his Kaze no Kizu upon their attackers. He was getting edgy and nervous. Were they attacking Sango? A few of Naraku's youkai puppets were closing in on Kagome but she took care of them with her Sacred Arrows.

"Inuyasha! Where did they come from?" She called as she ran over to him. He punched the closest youkai and then split him in half with the Tessaiga.

"Hell if I know! All I can smell is Naraku's scent but it... It's as though they came out of nowhere." Miroku looked around at all of the Saimyoushou. They surrounded the battlefield. He wished that Sango was there. She was always getting rid of those irritating insects.

"Inuyasha!" The houshi suddenly noticed the ominous presence. It was near them but it was heading away from them fast. "Do you sense that?"

"Sango!" Kagome's eyes widened when Inuyasha said the taiji-ya's name. The hanyou looked back wildly, his chest heaving. "Let's finish this quick!"

**XxX**

Kirara dodged the arrows, spears, and even the close hits of the youkai. Suddenly, Sango got hit and fell from her neko. Airborne fighting was a last resort. She grasped desperately for Kirara's fur but it slipped through her fingers as she fell quickly, heading to meet the ground. She had a feeling that she wouldn't win against the cold, hard earth. A tree branch hit her back and snapped from the force of her fall before she was caught by her ever-reliable neko.

"Kirara...we have to lure them to the ground." Sango's voice was quiet, tinged with relief. Her chest was heaving from the loss of oxygen in her lungs.

"Taiji-ya!" The youkai sneered at her, commanding his ride to carry him lower. The taiji-ya's hair blew in her face as she approached the youkai, weapon raised. Her eyes narrowed. She unlatched Hiraikotsu and unleashed it, clutching Kirara's fur tightly in her left hand. He was too close to evade quickly enough. She noticed five others in the air and she sensed at least ten on the ground. All sorts of battle strategies formed in her mind but she knew that the arrows coming from below would definitely become troublesome. When she caught Hiraikotsu, she instructed Kirara to quickly take her to the group in the air.

"Hiraikotsu!" She cried, unleashing it and watching as some managed to dodge. They could only be caught on the rebound if she was enough of a distraction. Her eyes narrowed as she pulled out her wakizashi and sliced at the bird youkai. They weren't much in battle but they did have evasive maneuvers she wasn't too familiar with. However, she backed them into a corner, smirking in success as she was suddenly covered in dark blood. She switched her blade to her left hand before reaching up to grasp the strap of her faithful boomerang in her right. "Let's go down now, Kirara!" Her neko made a swift movement and plummeted right to earth. Sango parted with her when they were almost there and landed hard on her feet. Her eyes narrowed as the youkai began to form around her and her neko. Kirara took care of a few of them rather quickly while Sango swung Hiraikotsu, cutting some of them in half and knocking others unconscious. She threw her boomerang out when she noticed that Kirara was ambushed by more that had just joined the battle. The youkai were grotesque and ugly, looking like something that crawled out of Hades' nightmares.

"Blood!" Some of the words, Sango couldn't even understand but she knew that word. They were bloodthirsty. She got knocked down before Hiraikotsu returned and her wakizashi was blocking one of their many blades. They obviously didn't believe in honorable fighting. She felt the blades cutting her skin but she didn't register fear until her wakizashi was knocked from her tight grasp forcefully. She reached for it in a gesture of futility. Her eyes were on Kirara, who was fighting her own battle and couldn't come to her. Springing her hidden blades, she tried to fend off as many blades as she could but there were so many surrounding her. Suddenly, she got kicked in the side. Then a blade cut her stomach. She felt her heart pounding.

"Stay away from me!" She wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach as she got to her knees. Coughing up blood, the nausea and dizziness from her pain resurfaced. The baby spiked a whole new level of youki that sent her reeling. She felt a blow to the face knock her to the side. Still, she protected her stomach. So many... "M-My... N-No..." She continued to fight, killing a few in her desperate swings. Managing to reach her wakizashi, Sango tried to fend them off. Her arms were shaking and her wounds were bleeding freely. She hadn't even noticed how many she had gotten before. The taiji-ya bravely got to her feet, her legs shaking beneath her. They came in waves of five at a time. She killed only two or three. Her stomach was bleeding and her body hurt. Receiving another blow to the head, this time from behind, she stumbled and fell hard on her knees. She felt like she was spinning and her head throbbed. She lost sight in one eye, probably from the blood flowing from a new cut. She once more resumed her position of protecting her stomach. A kick sent her flying and rolling. She watched their feet approach. It was all she could see. Closer... Closer... "S-Sesshoumaru..." What had made her whisper his name was unknown to her but she suddenly wished that he hadn't been skipping out on his visits. Maybe...

_I really do need him... Sesshoumaru...where are you...?_

**XxX**

Inuyasha unleashed more than one Kaze no Kizu in order to defeat those enemies surrounding him. But close combat was what they were striving for. He could hardly even swing anymore. They were too close... He used his Hijin Kessou, using the blood from a wound in his shoulder. Kagome was behind him, using up her arrows. She only had a few left and was trying to hold off until they really needed them. Unleashing another one to clear an area for her hanyou friend, she had counted four left.

"Houshi, what the hell are you doing!?" Miroku was using his Ofuda to paralyze those attacking him before finishing them off with his Shakujo. The staff's rings chimed gently when the houshi looked up at his friends.

"I can't open the Kazaana, Inuyasha! You said so yourself!" He was getting frustrated. That damn ominous feeling had led them to a hoard of youkai. They were doing all they could but it was hardly enough. Shippou was behind Kagome. He couldn't fight so he had to stay behind the miko and the hanyou for protection.

"We have to get to Sango, Inuyasha. She's probably in danger!" Kagome was frantic with worry. There was no doubt that Sango was in trouble. They couldn't have been too far from her because they sensed another swarm close by. Inuyasha felt helpless. The pregnant taiji-ya had to fend off her baby and a swarm of youkai. At least she was with Kirara... That eased his worries a little but not enough to be significant.

"I know!" He snapped, letting loose another Kaze no Kizu. His youki was draining. How long he would last, he couldn't tell. But he wouldn't go down until he knew everyone was safe, Sango included.

**XxX**

_I feel a little evil... Why? I have no idea. Perhaps it is because of the cliffie I left this at._

_I hope I am doing a good job of this and most of all, I hope that you are enjoying reading this. I am really having fun writing this and I hope my writing has improved._

_I've worked really hard on this and I like it. I'm thinking that this is one of my best..._

_Thank you for sticking with me and don't forget to let me know how you like it._

_-Angel_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango goes off on her own for a while. Sesshoumaru seems to be neglecting his duty to ease the child so that the taiji-ya doesn't die. While fighting off the youki in her system, Sango also has to fight off hoards of youkai. Inuyasha and the others are attacked as well, preventing them from aiding the taiji-ya. How will things turn out for them?

_7_

**XxX**

Closer... She was surprised when they stopped approaching her. But she couldn't move for the pain in her body. Then, something eased into her vision. Streaks of silver moved between the youkai and they fell. There was no red with the silver so the taiji-ya came to the conclusion that it wasn't Inuyasha but...

"Sesshou...maru..." She felt blood trickle from the corner of her mouth. She still couldn't open her left eye, due to the blood that was covering it and stinging it when she tried to see. He walked over to her and picked her up, saying nothing as he continued on. Kirara took to the air in order to see if there were any more enemies in the skies. Feeling secure, Sango fell into a deep sleep...

**XxX**

"Why were you not protecting her?" Inuyasha looked over as he sheathed the Tessaiga, his eyes growing wide.

"Sango!" Kagome cried, standing up. Inuyasha put his arm out to stop her from running to the Daiyoukai. "Oh... Oh Kami no..." The miko's eyes filled with tears. Miroku watched Sesshoumaru closely, his face guarded.

"She was attacked. Why was she alone?" The hanyou crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at his elder brother, who seemed to be giving him an interrogation.

"Why do you care? You were off doing who knows what while she was suffering with your child!" Amber met amber and neither looked away. Both were pretty pissed off. Both were stubborn and violent individuals. Both were hard-headed. There was no doubt that they hated each other.

"Why was she alone?" Sesshoumaru repeated his question, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Answer me, hanyou."

"No, bastard. Not until you tell me why the fuck _you_ left her alone!" Inuyasha was getting ready to draw the Tessaiga. However, Kagome had the sense to interfere before her dear friend bled to death.

"Would you mind if Miroku and I took Sango to tend to her wounds?" The miko asked quietly. Miroku stood up when Sesshoumaru offered the taiji-ya. The two didn't waste any time getting to work on her wounds. Inuyasha was determined to hear the answer to his most anticipated question.

"Well? Are you gonna answer or not? You're being the selfish bastard that left her to die. You have no right to question me. I was trying to help her ease the brat but you _abandoned_ her." His words seemed to have no effect on the stoic Daiyoukai.

"I had personal business to attend to. I did not have time to play with a mortal woman." He could've said anything and the hanyou's reaction would've been the same. Inuyasha exploded on his brother, cursing and using the most hideous profanity while raising his voice to get the point across.

When Sango came to a few hours later, Inuyasha was sitting next to her, glaring at someone that she couldn't see.

"I-Inuyasha?" He looked down at her in surprise.

"Sango, you're up. Wanna tell me what happened?" She tried to sit up but it was too much. A panicked look crossed her face as she grasped at him desperately.

"My baby! Tell me my baby is all right!" He pulled himself from her grip rather gently before frowning.

"Your baby is fine, Sango, but you're not. What the hell happened? Why didn't you come to us?" He asked sharply. She winced.

"I tried to but they attacked me from the sky and then from below. The first attack wasn't bad but the second..." She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head was pounding from all of the thoughts bombarding her.

"How many?"

"The first time it was six. Then, when Kirara and I got attacked in the air, there were five above and ten below. But when I got to the ten, there seemed to have been hidden reinforcements. I didn't have any choice but to keep fighting them. Soon, they surrounded us..." She looked up at him. "How did you find me?"

"We didn't find you. Much as I hate to say it, that bastard brother of mine is the one that saved your ass." Inuyasha crossed his arms. "He brought you straight to us, too, and then interrogated me like I was a fuckin' felon." She drifted off into her thoughts after that. She did remember Sesshoumaru now that he said something. But why had the Daiyoukai saved her? How had he known that she was in danger?

"Is he here now?"

"He's down by the river." She struggled to sit up. No matter how weak she was, she wanted to see him and ask him the questions that were nagging at her. "Don't you dare, Sango. Lie your ass back down!" Giving him a defiant glare, she proceeded to try and get up. He gave her a reprimanding stare. "Stubborn bitch! If you want him so much, I'll fucking get him." The hanyou got up and left her sitting there. She realized how pissed off he was when he wouldn't stop throwing out obscenities. Sesshoumaru emerged from the woods, looking irritated that he'd been disturbed. His amber eyes found her and he walked over to her.

"What is it?" He hardly seemed concerned for her welfare but she wasn't expecting that of him. Giving him a look, she waited patiently until he sat down.

"Why did you save me? And don't give me the story that my life is yours. How the hell did you know I was in danger?" He was quiet, contemplative. He supposed that he didn't owe her an explanation but... "Well?"

"I was attacked, as well. I found out from them that you and the others were attacked."

"How?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in thought. "They gave you information?"

"I find that my terms of persuasion were rather effective. However, I got no information about Naraku." He stated in a cold tone. She shivered when he mentioned persuasion. That meant that he was torturing them until they talked. That or threatening them until they spilled their guts.

"Still, he must have planned this. What if..." She looked down, calculating Naraku's moves before her eyes went to the trees surrounding them. "What if he wants us out of the way for something? What if...he needs our deaths?"

"Needs our deaths? Taiji-ya, you have stopped making sense." Sango sent him a glare. "He has needed our deaths from the moment he became a hanyou. The wretch is pitifully plotting against us, hoping we die before we face him." Her eyes went to the sky suddenly. Wasn't it almost the time for the new moon?

"What if...they're the same?" She once more attempted to get to her feet. "Where is Inuyasha?" She asked, her eyes going over to the Daiyoukai.

"He is by the river." She noticed the look in his eyes. He wanted to be by the river. He wanted solitude. Sighing, she forced herself to her feet. The pain sent her reeling and almost made her land on her stomach. However, Sesshoumaru caught her. "What is this matter of great importance? You should not be getting up."

"Inuyasha has a time of weakness. If Naraku is really a hanyou, which he is, then he has to have a time of weakness, too! Maybe it's closing in and he's getting nervous that we're searching for him!" He carried her to the river, almost praising her ability to think and knowledge of youkai and hanyou. But she was right. Inuyasha's time of weakness was the new moon. What if...they were the same? The new moon was just about a week away.

"You might be closing in on something."

"I remember when we battled Kagura before..." Her brows furrowed in thought. "Kouga was in trouble because of Kagura and others that were sent by Naraku but...Inuyasha went in to fight while he was human and nearly tipped off the enemy. Usually, Naraku makes appearances at our battles when we're close to the castles. But...he didn't. Then, after that, we encountered a youkai that was actually from inside of him... The youkai told us that he was once part of Naraku and that, suddenly, Naraku just let him go." She looked up at him. "Do you think there's any connection?"

"It could have but you forget that he is stronger now. However, there are laws that bind hanyou and those are strictly followed by nature itself. He would still have his weakness." Sesshoumaru looked thoughtful. "Perhaps he isn't quite the same as Inuyasha but different. He has many youkai inside of him... He was not born a hanyou. Still...if we were to figure out the night of weakness and attack then..."

"He wouldn't be able to fight back at full strength." She frowned, then. "What if his weakness is the same night as Inuyasha's? What would we do, then?"

"Fight him, still. Give Inuyasha a normal katana. If he is unable to wield the Tessaiga then he is useless." They made it to the river and found the others with Inuyasha. That would make it easier...

**XxX**

"It's stupid to base it on a guess!" Inuyasha muttered to the houshi later that night. Of course, Sango was brilliant for thinking of such a thing. The thought had crossed through the group's mind before but there were many days to pick from. How would they be able to choose one and act on it? The attacks only told them that they were getting close. That Naraku was trying to hide something.

"I doubt if it is a guess, Inuyasha. This happened once before." Miroku stated, watching the hanyou intently. "This is the only lead we have right now. Still, we have no idea as to where he actually is. The only thing we do know is that he doesn't want us to find him."

"That stupid..." Inuyasha sat down, his eyes glaring into the fire. "He's gotten away so many times..." The houshi looked down at his hand. It was something he never wanted to think about. But it always invaded his mind, his dreams. It scared him to death.

"Just get some rest. It's best if you don't let it bother you all night." He whispered to his friend. The hanyou looked over as if sensing something in Miroku's voice. Then, he just jumped into the tree above and settled himself on a branch. They both didn't need overwhelming knowledge to know that it would be a long night.

**XxX**

Sesshoumaru watched her sleep. It was actually a stroke of luck that he had found her at that time. The fight she actually put up must have been brutal. The ground was littered with dead youkai. He found it surprising that she could fight in such a condition.

_She should've been doubled over in pain._

Perhaps she was trying her hardest to prove him wrong. If that was the case, she was winning. She had already proven to him that she could handle herself. However, she had been severely outnumbered. That was probably the only reason she had lost. He let a growl slide past his lips.

_She isn't like most mortal women. But at least I will not have to babysit her. I can hunt for Naraku on my own without worry._

Of course, that was only if she decided to remain with his idiot brother and his group. He didn't really trust them but he didn't have a choice. Inuyasha did well enough on his own...with the Tessaiga.

"Sesshoumaru? Why are you still up?" Sango asked, blinking at him tiredly. He scoffed.

"Foolish taiji-ya. I do not need to sleep." It was true. He didn't need to sleep unless he was completely exhausted. Of course, that wasn't usually something that would happen.

"Oh... Well, I thought you would have left by now." She said quietly, pulling her blanket with her as she sat up. He glared at her.

"Rest now. Otherwise, you will be useless in a fight." Sango severely doubted that Kagome or Miroku would let her fight in her condition but she knew he was right. She rested her head back on her pillow as she lay on her side, facing the Daiyoukai. He looked at her before his hand rested on her stomach. She was startled by his action, since her baby hadn't been stressing. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, flaring his youki.

"What are you...doing?" She asked, feeling a bit light-headed. Suddenly, she knew what it was that he was doing. He was putting her to sleep. She closed her eyes and almost instantly fell asleep. Then, the Daiyoukai stood up and walked away, vanishing into the darkness.

**XxX**

"He must've left last night." Inuyasha said quietly. Not like he cared. He was actually happy that his brother left. Sango was still fast asleep, calm and peaceful. The hanyou sensed a bit of youki in her body. It wasn't the brat's. "He put her to sleep, did he?"

"Put her to sleep?" Kagome raised a brow as she looked down at her friend. "How could he do that?"

"The same way that he calms the pup. It puts you right to sleep, in a matter of seconds. Thing is, this pretty much puts you right in deep. No dreams, nothing." Miroku looked down at the taiji-ya.

"So, it is a sleep of restoration?" The houshi asked quietly. Inuyasha nodded. "What shall we do with her, then?"

"I'll carry her. Kagome, you take Kirara with Miroku, all right?" The miko nodded watched as Miroku helped to put Sango on the hanyou's back. Then, after she and the houshi were situated on Kirara, they took off.

The search led them in circles for a short period of time, Inuyasha quickly becoming testy. He could feel the child spike a sharp distress call as soon as Sesshoumaru's youki vanished. So, the hanyou had no choice but to spike his own youki in an attempt to stop the child from waking the taiji-ya.

_This is unbelievable! First, Naraku's got every one of his fucking youkai out to kill us then this brat is ready to kill its mother with its youki. What a bright fucking day this is turning out to be... I can't wait to sleep tonight and wake up to a battle with Naraku. The stupid asshole is nothing but a damn coward, playing games like this with us._

He was so irritable lately but it wasn't really his fault. He couldn't help it. Nothing they did ever seemed to be enough. The hanyou felt curses waiting to flee from his mouth. Kagome would sure as shit sit his brains out if she knew of the words he wanted to unleash. If only his brother hadn't gotten Sango pregnant... If only he didn't have to protect the unborn's life.

_An unborn child depends on me... How am I supposed to deal with it if Naraku gets his hands on Sango's baby?_

A million thoughts were running through his mind as he ran. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. A hoard of Naraku's minions rested before them.

"Sango, wake up!" The taiji-ya groaned and opened her eyes. "As much as I don't think you're in the condition to fight, you'd best get ready to." He set her down and watched as she turned to Miroku, who was holding her Hiraikotsu. "Ready?" They all got prepared for the battle, ready to fight until the end. They could sense that these were no mere youkai. They were upper level. "Bastard probably made a deal with 'em."

"Wouldn't be surprised." Sango said quietly. Weariness rested in her eyes but she wouldn't let it slow her down. A shuriken flew at them, forcing them to dodge, which was where the battle began. Inuyasha unleashed Tessaiga, blowing many down with his Kaze no Kizu and his Kongousouha. Miroku was forced to use Ofuda alongside his Shakujo, while Kagome wielded her bow and arrows...though she had very few. There hadn't been a village to stop at so she hardly had any, which meant that she had to be protected. Shippou was trying to defeat one at a time with his kitsune tricks and his fox fire. Sango was having a hell of a time trying to fight without opening her wounds, mainly the one on her abdomen. She threw her Hiraikotsu while Kirara defended her back from any dishonorable foes.

Mid-battle was when the peril began to rise. Not because of the many youkai attacking them, either. Inuyasha was blown back, the Tessaiga falling away from him. He was already wounded enough but he hit a youkai when he was flying backwards. It retaliated and he didn't have his Tessaiga. Which meant only one thing.

"Inuyasha!" Sango noticed that the air had turned chill, that her child was beginning to sense imminent danger. She looked over and noticed that her hanyou friend was without his massive katana. "Oh shit..." Her eyes went wide and she couldn't tear her eyes away as the hanyou grabbed the offending youkai by the neck and stuck his clawed hand through its stomach, ripping out the organs and letting the blood splatter all over his face. He licked the crimson liquid from his lips, grinning maliciously. The rest ran down his face in jagged lines over his marks and dripped off of his drenched silver hair. Then he raced toward another group, slaughtering them mercilessly. One of them tried to fight back but Inuyasha merely ripped his head from his body.

"Sango! You've got to run! Get out of here, it isn't safe for you!" Miroku's voice cut through her trance and she looked over at him in confusion before it hit her. Her child's youki would attract the bloodthirsty hanyou. She backed away but tripped, watching as Inuyasha turned his head, his crimson eyes landing on her. His twisted grin returned as he began to stalk toward her. Paralyzing fear flooded her body, searing her limbs so that she couldn't move. "Sango! Hurry!" The taiji-ya attempted to pull herself to her feet. If she ran, wouldn't she give him the thrill of the chase? Narrowing her eyes, she called for her neko.

"Kirara!" The youkai pulled from her battle and raced to get to her mistress. Sensing something, Inuyasha quickened his pace. He beat her neko to her, standing in front of her with a feral expression on his face. "S-Stay away." She evaded him when he lunged at her. Taking off toward Kirara, Sango knew she didn't have long.

"Sit!" That would only deter him for a few moments. Enough to get away. "Go back to Kaede-sama! Hurry!" After she climbed on her neko, she looked back with a small frown, not wanting to leave her friends behind. However, she didn't have time to debate because Kirara jumped into the air, not hesitating for even a moment. After she was gone, Inuyasha flew into a rage and began a killing spree instead. He slaughtered all of the youkai before turning to look at Miroku and Kagome. The miko now held Tessaiga in her hand but she didn't have a clue as to how to get him down so that she could give it to him. "Miroku-"

"I know." He pulled out some Ofuda and ran at the hanyou, throwing them at him. Inuyasha dodged and raised his fist, punching the houshi. Miroku flew to the ground and the hanyou went right after him. Raising his Shakujo, the houshi prepared to defend himself. "Inuyasha..." Those blood red eyes and that blood-splattered face...

_**"He will eventually lose himself if he continues to transform..."**_

Hopefully, this wasn't that time. He hit the hanyou right in the forehead with his staff before launching into a series of physical attacks. Kagome was right behind him with the Tessaiga. When it seemed like he would get up, she uttered the word of subjugation.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" He struggled out of his hole and grabbed Miroku's arm. A sickening crack was all that was heard before he was forced to let go as Kagome said it another time. "_Sit_!"

**XxX**

Sango watched an approaching village with sadness. She had to leave her friends behind. Her baby continued to stress, causing her severe pain. Her vision blurred and she would've fallen from Kirara if it weren't for her hold on the neko's fur. They had been traveling for a while and the taiji-ya wasn't even aware of where they were, whether or not they passed Kaede's village or not.

"Hurry..." She almost passed out from the level of pain flowing through her body. What was going on? "Kirara...stop..." The neko landed in a field, wondering what was wrong with her mistress. Sango nearly fell off of her neko before straightening herself out and attempting a better way. Either way, she didn't land on her feet.

"Girl, you are injured?" An old woman stood in front of her, staring down at her with a brow raised.

"Y-Yes..." She winced as another round of pain consumed her body. Standing, the taiji-ya ran towards the trees before coughing until her throat was raw. Blood pooled in her mouth so she spit it on the ground. When she recovered, she returned to the woman, her curiosity as to where they were plaguing her mind. "Uh... Where are we?" The old woman frowned before heaving a sigh.

"You are at my farm. My son, Jinenji tends to the fields." The name seemed to ring a bell in the taiji-ya's mind when she suddenly remembered. Jinenji was the name of the hanyou that had given Kagome the antidote for Kirara.

"J-Jinenji?" She questioned softly. "Then...you must be..."

"I am his mother. What of it?" Sango flushed before shaking her head. "So, what's your trouble? You still have blood on your face."

"Nothing that you could help with..." Her mahogany eyes were downcast. The only one that could help her really couldn't care less...

"What is it?" The woman looked adamant about knowing. "You won't surprise me."

"I'm pregnant." At that, the old woman raised a brow. "With a Daiyoukai's child." If it hadn't been for the fact that Kagome thought that the two were nice individuals, then she wouldn't have said anything. But maybe she could help in some form or another. "Perhaps you could help me... Your son, Jinenji, is a hanyou, right?"

"How do you know that?" The tone was harsh.

"My friend Kagome came up here before to get an antidote for my neko, when she was poisoned. She told me about you and your son."

After a while of explanation and some very disturbing waves of nausea, the old woman finally told Sango that she couldn't really help.

"My son...was born of love. Was your child?" The woman reached forward and moved the front of Sango's kimono a bit to the side. "No, you aren't bonded to him. Of course you will have a hard time. With a Daiyoukai, it must be even worse... I am afraid that you won't last long." Jinenji came in and was suprised to see someone there with his mother. Introductions were made and situations explained.

"I see, so you are a friend of Kagome." Jinenji looked fierce but the taiji-ya sensed no danger from him. In fact, Kagome had told her that the hanyou was so gentle and meant no harm at all. "How is she?"

"She is well." At least, Sango hoped so. The way Inuyasha was when she had left... Her friends were in real danger. Though, all she could do was trust all of them. Trust that they would be fine. That everything would be fine. "Might I...be able to stay until I can travel without passing out?" Jinenji and his mother stared at her before nodding. Sango hid her face and turned away, not wanting to see their pity. "Thank you."

**XxX**

The pain was so terrible that she didn't want to get up. She didn't want to move but she wound up forcing herself. Her vision was blurry and she was seeing double of everything.

"You shouldn't be up! Here, take some of this." Sango was forced to take some liquid and she was pushed back down onto the bed that the old woman had made for her. "Stay down and rest. That is all you can do." The truth was, the taiji-ya was dying. There was absolutely nothing that Jinenji or his mother could do. Kirara looked ill herself as she rested beside her mistress.

Hours later, Sango stumbled outside and fell down the small incline, stopping just before the trees. She then proceeded to heave and choke on blood. She could sense it. Her death was imminent. There was no bond between her and Sesshoumaru so there was absolutely nothing she could do on her own. Sesshoumaru had said that the baby was unfamiliar with her body due to the lack of youki. Her body wasn't made for youki so the destructive force was doing a number on her from the inside.

"N-No..." She dry heaved. There was nothing left in her system to purge. "I'm...not...done yet..." Her eyes focused on the sky as she fell back. Perhaps death wasn't as bad as she made it out to be. After all, what was left for her in the living? Revenge...and her friends... But that was all.

_My baby. The beginning of a new era._

Sango could no longer decipher what it meant to be sane. She could hardly understand what it was that she was thinking. The pain was unbearable.

"Pitiful." A cold, smooth voice interrupted her peace. Her eyes landed on a moonlit figure. Eyes of amber stared down at her.

"So...the reaper has taken your form..." He knelt down next to her, picking her up. He could sense the child's rapidly growing youki. He had spawned an awfully powerful offspring. She was only just over two months... Then again, the human body was not meant to contain youki and it was in the first months that the child established it. Still, to be so powerful...

"You are dying." He whispered, flaring his youki to help delay it. Nothing happened. His eyes widened. She was dying and he couldn't stop it... He held her closer, burying his face between her neck and shoulder. Suddenly, it dawned on him. If there was at least a little bit of his youki in her body all the time... If the child could sense it through a bond...

_There is no bond so she is going to die... Then..._

Without thinking it through and acting on instinct, which was a first on his part, he opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into her flesh, letting his youki flood into her body...

**XxX**

_Oh, how exciting! Sesshoumaru didn't think about this one, did he? Now, let's see what happens when Sango and Inuyasha find out about what was done!_

_Thank you and please continue to read! I hope I'm keeping this interesting for you!_

_-Angel_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Inuyasha went youkai in the battle against Naraku's minions. Sango got away by a stroke of luck and wound up at Jinenji's farm. Only problem is, she's dying. Sesshoumaru knows only one thing to do and acts without thinking...

_8_

**XxX**

Inuyasha was unconscious for the better part of a day. Miroku was almost screaming in agony as Kagome was forced to set the bone of his left arm. She then found a nice, sturdy stick and tied it to his arm before wrapping it securely.

"Don't move it for a while, okay?" She then gave him some of her pain killers and leaned him against a tree. "This is terrible. Miroku, I'm sorry..." The miko felt so guilty that she hadn't subjugated him before it happened.

"It...is not your fault. I cannot blame him, either. I...guess that we cannot move any more for a little while." He sighed, wincing as he shifted and his arm moved a bit. "I can still walk but he cannot." She went over to tend to Inuyasha, leaving the houshi to his thoughts.

"I-Inuyasha?" She shook him gently, making certain that the Tessaiga was in his hand, where she had placed it. "Inuyasha, wake up." He opened his eyes, looking up at her in confusion.

"Kagome? What happened?" The stench of blood was everywhere. He sat up and looked across the battlefield, his eyes widening at the sickening and brutal scene. Mutilated bodies of youkai were strewn across his vision. Dried blood and organs lay, scattered, probably nowhere near the bodies they came from. When he looked at his hands, he felt sick to his stomach.

"You lost the Tessaiga..." It was all he needed. His eyes went from Kagome to Miroku. "And...you defeated the youkai..."

"What happened to the houshi?" She didn't want to answer him but decided that she would tell him part of the truth.

"His arm is broken. He told me what to do to set the bone so...as long as he keeps it still, then it'll heal in a few weeks." The way he looked at her told her that she didn't completely answer his question. Averting her gaze was obviously the wrong thing to do because the hanyou stood up. He looked furious.

"What else did I do?" There was another question that she didn't want to answer. But she would have to because the hanyou realized that someone was missing. "Where is Sango? And Kirara?"

"They're gone. She's probably at Kaede-sama's village by now." He stared down at her.

"Don't tell me that I..." When she said nothing, he instantly knew what had happened. He knew and it pissed him off. "I'll be by the river. We'll go back to Kaede's as soon as the houshi is fit for travel." The only river that was close was at least two miles away from the hanyou. He was beyond pissed off. Their chances of getting to Naraku were shot, since Sango wasn't there and Miroku had a broken arm. He washed his hands profusely, almost rubbing the skin right off. "Shit!" He fell to his knees in the water.

**XxX**

Sesshoumaru set her down in the house, in the bed that had been made for her. The old woman watched the Daiyoukai's stoic face as he stared down at the woman he'd just marked as his mate. He pulled the covers over her, feeling himself start to fall asleep. He positioned himself against the wall across from her and let his chin rest on his chest.

Sango opened her eyes. Her body felt heavy, like lead, and she really couldn't move. There was a pain in the side of her neck but that was the least of her worries. The pain from her baby was...almost non-existent. She felt tired and exhausted. For a moment, she was fine. That was until her senses kicked in.

"S-Sesshoumaru...?" She looked over, remembering some of what had happened. But...how had he taken the pain away? He looked drained and pale, like he'd wasted too much of his youki. He didn't even stir at the sound of her voice. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes and dropped back off to sleep.

The next time she woke up, he was awake. His eyes were staring ahead, at something she didn't see. Possibly a memory, possibly a thought. She sat up, feeling worn yet absolutely wonderful. Her child was being merciful...

"Taiji-ya." She turned her head in curiosity. He was looking at her with an odd expression on his face. The Daiyoukai didn't look rested but his complexion was back to its normal ivory. His amber eyes glittered with weariness. "What are you doing?" She gave him a look.

"I'm leaving. I can't stay for long. Kagome told me that she and the others would meet me at Kaede-sama's village. They'll be worried if I'm not there when they arrive." Kirara wasn't inside, which was something the taiji-ya found strange.

"You are not fit for travel, even on that neko." His voice was even, telling her that he wasn't discussing the matter any further. Sango gave him a bitter glance before standing up, feeling a bit dizzy.

"I'm leaving, Sesshoumaru. It wasn't a question." Her voice was firm, telling him that she didn't want or even need his permission. He went to stand but decided against it, leaning heavily against the wall. Guilt began to settle within the taiji-ya. She walked slowly over to him and stared at him in curiosity. "What's wrong with you?"

"I used my youki to mend your condition. What else would be wrong?" Sango had never seen Sesshoumaru look so tired. "It took more than I anticipated."

"Well...you can come with me. I guess I can wait until we're rested a bit more. Tomorrow morning, we're leaving without question. I don't want to burden Jinenji-san and his mother any more than we already have." She went back to her bed and sat down. "How did you calm the child so completely? It feels...different. The pain is less intense." His eyes stared past her, to the wall behind her.

"I will inform you when both of us have had our rest. I do not wish to deal with an irritable female screeching in my ear." Before she could even think of a statement to snap back with, he was asleep. After deciding that it would be better if she slept, she pulled the blanket over her and eased back into the bed. She was exhausted, though she had hardly realized it.

**XxX**

Sango finished her hair and turned back to look at the slumbering Daiyoukai. She got up and walked over to him, kneeling down beside him.

"Why...? Why me?" Brushing aside some of the silky strands of silver hair, she watched his face almost sadly. He opened his eyes and stared at her.

"It was a choice that I am not proud of." His voice was quiet. The taiji-ya stared at him in curiosity. "That child is no more a mistake than my brother was." Her eyes went wide.

"W-What?" He stood up and walked to the door.

"We may discuss this on the way." Sesshoumaru stated as he looked back at her. She felt her chest constrict. He had _chosen_ to get her pregnant? Why was that? Sango felt that she had no choice but to find out the reasoning behind his decision. He hated hanyou. He hated humans. Why had he taken her? What was the purpose of the child? If he had deliberately decided to get her pregnant, then why was he trying to take his child's life? She grabbed her weapons and followed him outside. The owners of the farm greeted her with smiles.

"I am happy that you are well, now. Tell Kagome that she should stop by. Take this. Keep it for times of emergency." Jinenji said as he handed her a small bag of what she thought to be an antidote for the shouki.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality." She said quietly. "I will deliver your message to repay my debt." They nodded and she walked towards Sesshoumaru and Kirara. "Now, want to tell me what you meant? And why the hell were you so drained? You must have a ton of youki to waste so..." His eyes were focused on her throat and she became curious. Had he been staring at that spot before? She reached up. "Is there something on...my..." Her fingers brushed over a scar.

_T-Teeth marks...? N-No..._

Sango looked at the Daiyoukai with eyes filled with fury. He stared at her expressionlessly.

"What the hell did you do?" She began to tremble from the anger and fear pooling within her body. "Sesshoumaru, tell me this isn't a bonding mark. Tell me it isn't!" When he said nothing, she hauled off and slapped him before taking off, shedding her weapons along the way. She was not mated to him! There was no way.

_I-Inuyasha will never... He'll never forgive this... He will never understand._

The hanyou had given her a second chance and Sesshoumaru had taken it away from her. She began to scratch and claw at the mark, wanting to rip it off. Collapsing in the woods, the taiji-ya curled into a defensive ball. Everything was falling apart. She was so pissed off. Everything that she had worked to achieve was vanishing. Her friends...would they forgive her again?

"Why must you continue to fight me? You do not even know of the reason that I marked you! You, taiji-ya, were on the verge of death." His voice cut through her thoughts. She didn't want to even see his face ever again. Pain began to slowly circulate through her system. "If you fight the bond like this, you will die. Do you think I wanted to be mated to _you_?"

"Then why bother? Why did you have to ruin everything?" He glared down at her.

"It was the only way to your survival." She had no choice but to look at him when he picked her up, carrying her back to where Kirara was waiting.

"Why did you do this? When you took me, why did you..." He said nothing for a while.

"I was curious."

**XxX**

"Houshi." Inuyasha stood in front of Miroku. The hanyou had his expression hidden beneath his bangs, his hands curled into fists. The houshi looked up at his friend in curiosity. "I... I didn't mean it. I don't...know what to do. How could... I didn't know what I was doing."

"I understand, Inuyasha. It is nothing for you to worry over." Miroku smiled slightly. It had taken a lot of courage for his friend to come close to an apology. "I feel terrible for being a burden..."

"It isn't your fault. We should just worry about getting to Kaede's without having to fight." Inuyasha said softly. "Are you okay to walk?" The houshi nodded and stood up. They began their way back to the village. Shippou stayed out of Inuyasha's way, his eyes trying to find anything else to amuse himself.

"I want to get back to Sango before something goes wrong." Kagome said quietly. She felt bad for sending the taiji-ya back alone but it had to be done. Her friend had been danger and, with an unborn in her womb, she was the one that had to leave. Inuyasha sighed.

"I didn't hurt her, did I?"

"No, but...you scared her. I've never seen that look on her face before." Miroku answered, his violet eyes staring a hole in the ground. "I hope I never see it again."

**XxX**

"W-_What_?" Sango asked, her eyes hazy with pain. She was no longer fighting the bond but it would take some time for the pain to subside. So, she decided to listen to him. After all, he was carrying her and all of her weapons had been strapped to Kirara. "Are you telling me that you used me because you were _curious_?" Her anger was beginning to surface once more.

"It was the only way to tell if I am stronger than my father was. I suppose that I was correct. I am. I found the way to become stronger than him." A malicious smirk stretched across his lips. "Yes, I did use you. I also intended to kill the both of you when I found out."

"But now I'm _mated_ to you. What the hell were you thinking?" She rested her head against his chest. He growled at her, half tempted to drop her.

"I do not need to answer to you." His voice was rough. Sango glared up at him.

"What the hell gave you the right to do this to me? I want to know what you were thinking!" Sesshoumaru glared back at her, his lips beginning to twitch. He was trying not to show off his fangs again.

"At first, I did not intend to impregnate you. I just wanted to see what it was that had gotten my father so attached to that wench, Izayoi." He stepped up onto the main road.

"Izayoi? Was that Inuyasha's mother?" He answered her question with a slight nod. "Don't you think that he could have loved her? It didn't have to be about the sex, Sesshoumaru." Her face burned red so she buried it in his neck to hide her flush.

"Humans are such passionate creatures. They react to every touch, respond with such emotion... Inu no Taisho was a curious man. I believe he grew addicted." Sango felt the heat in her face increase as she remembered how she reacted to his delicate, teasing touches. How she responded to the way his lips brushed her skin. "Youkai are rough and demanding. They are not willing to share pleasure."

"S-Sesshoumaru..." If her face grew any warmer, she would surely catch fire. "I was inexperienced..."

"All humans are like that. Our one encounter suggests that the next time I take you, it will be somewhat similar." The taiji-ya looked up at him, forgetting instantly that she was uncomfortable with what they were discussing.

"Next time?" Sesshoumaru looked down at her with a frown hinting at the corners of his lips. Surely, she was kidding.

"You are mine, taiji-ya. Did you not think that I would take you again?" Sango felt instant discomfort. She struggled to get out of his grasp but he was unwilling to let her go. "Answer me."

"Of course I didn't! I never thought that I'd be yours. I never _wanted_ to be, Sesshoumaru!" He stopped walking, his amber eyes narrowing in annoyance. Too bad he couldn't kill her. Perhaps he should've let her die. "And you expect me to sleep with you after you used me in your own twisted experiments? What the hell do you take me for? I actually have pride, you know!"

"Taiji-ya."

"And you'd better quit calling me that! I have a name, I am a person."

"_Onna_."

"I swear you'd better-"

"Sango!" It was the first time she had heard him raise his voice. She gave him a glare, as though asking him what he wanted so badly. "I would prefer if you quit screaming in my ear long enough for me to tell you that I wish to discuss this in a much lighter tone." Looking around, she noticed that there were some travelers on the road. Her face turned a dark shade of red and she once more resorted to burying it in his neck.

"Let's go. Now." He didn't bother to recognize that what she said could've been taken as an order. In fact, he wanted to leave almost as badly as she did. He got them to Kaede's in under half a day and the Daiyoukai decided to stay in the forest. Sango told him that she would be back to settle their score later on in the evening. When she arrived at Kaede's, she tried to prepare a quick 'forgive me' speech. However, her friends weren't even there. "Kaede-sama?" The young taiji-ya moved the door cover aside and peered into the dimly lit room.

"Sango? You've returned?" The elderly miko came out and, almost instantly, her expression darkened. "Is there a youkai in the area? Though..." The youki that was being emitted reminded her of Inuyasha but it was distinctly different. Not to mention there was way too much.

"Uh...sort of. Sesshoumaru is on the outskirts of the town. He is staying in the forest for a while." She entered, Kirara at her side. The neko waited until her mistress unloaded the weapons before she changed to her smaller form.

"Outskirts? Then..." Kaede walked closer. "He is..."

"He made me his mate." She ducked her head in apology and began mumbling out excuses for forgiveness at about a hundred miles per hour.

"Child, calm down. Just tell me how this happened." The miko was wise to Inuyasha's attitude toward his elder brother. In fact, she was sure that the hanyou would have a fit upon the discovery.

"I was...dying, Kaede-sama. He didn't really have any other choice." It was the truth. Sango knew about what occurs when youkai mate. The bond makes a clear channel through which the mate can pour his youkai. It was an open gap that hadn't been there before. "The baby was too much for my body."

"You must tell Inuyasha the truth when he arrives." The taiji-ya already knew that. And she hoped that he was guilty for attacking her so that mercy was a little clearer in his mind.

"I intend to..."

**XxX**

Sango stood at the well. Her dark mahogany eyes were trained on the distant trees. She had trudged up to the forest to confront Sesshoumaru but she found herself thinking the better of it. The taiji-ya sat down at the edge of the well, her eyes briefly skimming the darkness of the depths. How she wished that she could fall back into it and awake in a different world...

"Sango." Surprise encased her body, causing her to tense on reflex. "What are you doing?" He stood at the edge of the trees, his amber eyes guarded as he observed her.

"Well, I _was_ thinking." She muttered softly. "But I guess I should do what I came up here to do..." Sesshoumaru walked closer, having no trouble at all in hearing her but desiring a closer distance so that she didn't feel like she had to scream out their troubles. "Why did you have to do this to me? Couldn't you have just found some...other woman to experiment on? One with less problems?"

"A normal human would have died from the pain long before your brush with death." He made himself comfortable a few inches from her, stretching out his long legs as he leaned his back against the well. "I wanted to take a human out of curiosity but such a situation had never occurred. I would never impregnate someone that was not worthy or unable." She crossed her arms.

"You are such a self-absorbed asshole." It came out as a regular statement. It wasn't screamed nor was it in any way argumentative; spoken as though it was the plain truth. The Daiyoukai gave her a dirty look. "You got me pregnant and then decided to kill both me and the baby. Why must you do such monstrous things?"

"I do not wish to spawn a hanyou child."

"Then you should've thought before you got me pregnant." He let his head rest against the wood, hoping that the baby would start its nightly troubles so that she would shut up about his decision. "But...what made you save me? What made you...act so selflessly?"

"I made a promise. I told you that giving yourself to me would ensure you to defeat Naraku. Until Naraku is defeated, you cannot die." Sesshoumaru felt nothing toward the situation she was in. In fact, he really didn't care. It was just that he was a person of word.

"Sesshoumaru...how can you be like this? It seems...like in one moment you actually have feelings and then, suddenly...you don't." He said nothing, choosing to remain silent. The light brush of her body alerted him to her closeness as she sat down next to him. "I just want to know what I am to you..."

"You are my mate. You are my human." She felt tears sting her eyes at his words. If only they weren't spoken so coldly... "You are the stubborn, hard-headed woman that would not allow me to kill a hanyou child." He looked over at her with a frown on his face. He had made several uncharacteristic mistakes, one of which was making her his mate. How he loathed the fact that he had gotten her pregnant over simple curiosity.

_Was it truly worth it just to know that I am stronger...?_

He stiffened and nearly pushed her away when he felt a gentle weight on his shoulder. She was sleeping... With a sigh, the Daiyoukai wrapped his arm around her so that his clawed hand rested over her swollen belly. Then he proceeded to let some of his youki flow directly into her body through their bond.

**XxX**

"Inuyasha will be here soon, Sango. You must ready yourself for his reaction." No matter how prepared she was, Sango severely doubted that she would be emotionally ready. Inuyasha would undoubtedly scream at her, insult her, and accuse her of the worst possible things. But...would he forgive her? Would he forgive her like he had last time? She had stepped over the bounds that he had made when he had last told her that she had one last chance to redeem herself in his eyes. That he was giving her a second chance. In fact, he had stated clearly that the next screw-up she had would be the end.

"No matter what I do, it will never be enough." The taiji-ya hid her expression beneath her bangs. Hell, she wasn't even ready for Miroku's reaction. "I have gone too far this time."

"Child, do not give up on Inuyasha. He may be foolish and over-bearing but he wants you to be stronger. He wants you to take care of yourself. All he wants is the best for you." Kaede's words seemed to depress Sango more.

"To him, this would be the worst." On the other hand, Sango's words made Kaede depressed. "I may as well just say that Sesshoumaru and I had sex and that it was the best night of my life so I begged him to make me his." Though her face was red, she was speaking the truth. "Inuyasha will have the same reaction no matter the story. May as well get creative."

"Perhaps Miroku-sama-"

"Let's not even discuss his thoughts on this. To him, the only way to become the mate of a youkai is during the unholy act of baby-making." Kaede had never seen Sango so pessimistic before. The taiji-ya had been adamant and optimistic about Naraku's defeat. However, that seemed to be the least of her worries. "Though, I suppose I deserve what they'll give to me. Whether it be the silent treatment or the lung blow-out."

"Sango..." Placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder, the elderly priestess gained sudden insight. Inuyasha was going to be furious that the taiji-ya had _chosen_ his evil half-brother over himself. She had left hanyou for Daiyoukai. "No matter what he says, it is his actions that speak the truth."

"I know...and he was serious about only giving me one other chance..."

**XxX**

_I hope I'm dishing out just the right amount of interesting to make you continue reading this! I'm building up into Inuyasha's reaction, which will be something to read, most definitely. Anyway, I suppose I'll see you next chapter!_

_Thank you, my faithful reviewers! I love you all and I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am!_

_Please let me know where I stand. Thanks a bunch!_

_-Angel_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sesshoumaru has made Sango his mate on a selfless act to save her life. But the main problem on everyone's minds is...how badly will Inuyasha react?

_9_

**XxX**

Inuyasha entered the village, sensing his elder brother immediately. His lips twitched. How he wanted to release a nice snarl.

"What is Sesshoumaru doing here?" Miroku wondered aloud, his eyes narrowing at the hanyou in front of him.

"I guess we'll find out. Maybe something happened." Kagome looked worried. They stepped up the pace and made it to the village in almost no time. Miroku's arm was sore but he couldn't exactly stop and take a break, expecting it to feel better. Kaede met them with a serious expression.

"I highly doubt that you are happy, Inuyasha. Let them be for now. You will know soon enough what is going on." The elderly miko beckoned them into her house and gave the travel-weary group a nice hot meal. Inuyasha remained adamant about finding his brother and banishing him from the face of the earth.

"Kaede-san, is Sango okay?" Kagome asked worriedly. All she had on her mind was the fact that Sesshoumaru was with her so something could've gone wrong.

"She is well, for now. Steps have been taken toward her health." Miroku raised a brow at the statement. He wondered exactly what was going on. Though she had told him to forget his promise, he still loved her and wanted to try and get her back.

"Steps?" The elderly miko didn't answer. Instead, they were left to wonder about her statement.

**XxX**

Sango opened her eyes, adjusting to the light that was peeking through the trees. She felt comfortable which made her hesitant to move.

"Awake now, taiji-ya?" She yawned and moved so that she could look up at Sesshoumaru. For some reason, she wasn't too angry or upset to wake up in his arms. The night before was like a blur. She had felt so sick that he had no choice but to use a generous amount of youki. Of course, that was like he was surrendering the victory to their argument. "My brother should be arriving soon. What will you tell him?"

"I won't have to tell him anything." She whispered, turning her face so that she was hidden in his neck. "He'll figure it out on his own and tell me to leave. He won't forgive me for this, no matter what I say." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his brother's attitude. Always jumping to conclusions. Which, of course, wasn't fair to anyone.

"My brother is an idiot. Eventually, he may consider forgiving you." She sighed and lazily ran her fingers through his hair. The taiji-ya knew she was still to weak to move. The youki was still in her system and, somehow, it made her feel like her body was a block of lead.

"Tell me that this isn't permanent. Is there a way to get rid of the bond?" Sesshoumaru heaved a heavy breath.

"A few more days and it will be permanent. But if you fight it, the chances are that you will die." It pissed him off that he didn't know what she placed first, his brother's opinion or her life. "And Naraku is not defeated so you cannot die."

"I know." She didn't hesitate to realize what he was saying. "I wish there was a way around this situation but you needed to mark me..." It was the solid truth. Sesshoumaru looked down at the mark. The bruise was starting to disappear around the teeth marks and it was beginning to set into her skin, like a scar. "Could you mark several females?" The question seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Daiyoukai was silent for a moment, allowing time for the question to settle.

"No." He moved her over and sat up, staring down at her. "Bonding is something sacred."

"Couldn't you have tried something different, then?" To be honest, Sesshoumaru was getting frustrated with her. He hated the way she kept trying to push him to choose some other woman. It wasn't like finding some youkai woman and sharing a romantic life with her was one of his goals. He was quickly growing tired of her childish views.

"Taiji-ya, I do not search for romance. It is not something that I have a longing for. Did I not tell you that love was nothing more than a children's story?" She glared up at him, resilient about the subject being real.

"I have loved before, Sesshoumaru. Need is nothing like love. I do not need Houshi-sama. I love him!" Realizing that she didn't use past tense made her cover her mouth immediately.

"So, you have some sort of _lust_ for the houshi?" Considering her passion when she screamed her love for him, he figured that she wanted him. What was it about the houshi that made her want him? Humans were such perplexing creatures. A furious flush engulfed the taiji-ya's face.

"It isn't lust!" Her voice raised in pitch, causing the Daiyoukai to nearly flinch. How he hated women and their high-pitched voices. "But...he doesn't want me so..." Raising a brow, he thought back to when he encountered his brother's group. The houshi was always with the taiji-ya. And, when he was watching over her the past few months, he remembered how much that houshi had watched her. Had looked at her. Had wanted her. Perhaps, if she was to quit babbling about love and other such human idiosyncrasies, he had to let her believe what she said. No matter what he learned about humans, their mannerisms and peculiarities continued to change and confound him.

"What does it matter? You will never belong to any other." The possessiveness in his voice made her forget about Miroku for a brief moment.

"Why can I not live my own life?" The Daiyoukai was done with her stubborn persistence.

"Because, taiji-ya, that mark binds you to me and so I will not have you doing as you please!" Sango was about ready to snap but she instantly sensed when Inuyasha and the others crossed the border into the village. "Mark my words, you will never stray from my orders again." Sighing, she decided that she would need some time alone to deal with Inuyasha's initial reaction.

_I really hope that he can prove everyone wrong... But...he really is so predictable._

Battling hope with knowledge, the taiji-ya was torn between her decision to remain there or to seek out the hanyou.

**XxX**

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the doorway when a familiar figure stepped inside. Everyone in the room felt the distinct change in her aura. It wasn't completely human. It was mixed and tainted with a constant vibration of youki.

"Taiji-ya." Sango flinched at his tone. He already knew. The instant she walked inside, he had found out. Not to mention the actual evidence on the juncture of her neck and shoulders, which he brilliantly found by ripping the top of her kimono off. Her bindings were all that were left to cover her. However, she stood against him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Will you let me explain or are you just going to continue screaming at me?" Inuyasha was silent, his amber eyes narrowed dangerously. She had never encountered such anger centered towards her before. Instead of answering, he turned towards the door and started walking out.

"I'm through screaming at you. I'm through letting you explain yourself. I'm through with you." He paused in his steps for a brief moment. "You have until nightfall tomorrow to leave." What was unbearable was the fact that he wasn't cursing at her or verbally abusing her. In fact, he merely stalked out with the intent to get away from her. Sango didn't bother to chase after him. After all, she was a disgrace. Kagome watched with sad eyes as Sango began to gather her things.

"You don't have to leave, Sango..." The young miko whispered. She didn't want to see her best friend go. "At least tell us what happened." What hurt the most was that the taiji-ya didn't even look at any of them. She merely continued to pack. "Where will you go now?"

"I have no answers, Kagome-san." The luminous mahogany eyes were, instead, dull and cold. The honorific made Kagome flinch.

"Just because Inuyasha will not listen to your explanation does not mean that Kagome and myself will not." Miroku's voice only made it harder on Sango.

"I was dying. Sesshoumaru selflessly bonded us in order to save my life by giving me a direct flow of youki. I was literally on the verge of death and he saved me the only way he could." She stated as she finished packing. "He didn't even hesitate to use all of his youki in the process, either. Bonding normally occurs at the height of power, which is during sex." Finally, she looked up at them. "But he wasn't at the height. He wasn't even at his usual amount. Right before that, he used some to try and save me that way."

"Sango..." Kagome looked up at her friend in sorrow. "I'm sorry." Sango stood up and walked to the door with her bag. She looked back, meeting her friend's gaze.

"I know."

**XxX**

The wind blew in ominous clouds as she traveled, her silent companion at her side. Kirara looked back often, hoping that Inuyasha or one of the others would follow. Sango watched the sky, hoping that they made it to a village before the storm hit.

"Come on, Kirara. We have to pick up the pace a little." Her voice reminded the neko of her mistress's mate. The cold tone immediately forced the neko to obey. She was concerned for the pregnant taiji-ya. Sango's eyes held a look of longing and sadness. Her aura screamed misery. After losing all of her family, she lost all of her friends. The taiji-ya cursed her luck as she felt rain begin to pour down from the heavens. She dug around in her bag and pulled out something pink. The sight of the thing nearly brought tears to her eyes. Kagome had given her one of her umbrellas. She popped the device open and smiled slightly as Kirara jumped up on her shoulders. Fond memories continually bombarded her conscious mind. Memories of her and the houshi.

"Sango!" She could've sworn that she had heard his voice. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. "Sango, wait!" Kirara mewed urgently in her ear so she whirled around.

"Houshi-sama-" He stopped in front of her and pulled her to him with his good arm, causing her to drop the umbrella and her bag on the muddy road. His robes were soaking wet but she didn't care as she threw her arms around him in return. Miroku tipped her chin up and gently brushed his lips across hers. She gasped and hesitantly pulled away.

"I love you, Sango. I don't want to see you in pain." The houshi pulled her to his chest again. "I tried to forget our promise but I do not want that. I want you."

"But you..."

"It is a habit...that I can hardly control. Just..." He stared at her pleadingly, practically pulling his heart out and showing it to her. She wanted so badly to be with him that she lingered in his arms. "Please." He kissed her again, eagerly tightening his grip on her. Considering that it had been what she had wanted for a long time, she couldn't just pull away. Someone could finally accept her without concern for who she was. She was suddenly shoved to the ground. A muffled scream was heard, and mud had splashed into the taiji-ya's face. Kirara was right beside her, roaring and snarling. Frantically, Sango tried to brush away the mud stinging her eyes.

"You think you can so easily touch what is mine?" The voice froze the blood in her veins. Miroku's life was in danger. "You will pay...with your life."

"Sesshoumaru!" The taiji-ya managed to wipe the mud from her eyes. She stood up. "Stop it!" The houshi struggled in the Daiyoukai's grasp. "Please!" Sesshoumaru's expression was feral. Miroku thought he was staring Death in the face. He gripped at the Daiyoukai's hands, which were wrapped around his throat in an iron grip. His eyes were crimson and narrowed, his markings jagged.

"Die now, houshi." Dangling like that made the houshi think as quickly as possible. He opened his Kazaana. He knew the dangers of opening it when the enemy was so close and had a death grip on his throat.

"Houshi-sama! Don't do it!" Sango rushed Sesshoumaru with her shoulder and slid in the mud, falling on her side. Her eyes were wide as she curled around her swollen stomach. Sesshoumaru had let go of Miroku during the fall but he was back up and chasing after his prey. "Kirara..." The neko went after the houshi, desperately searching through the pouring rain. The Daiyoukai was on top of him, blood scenting the air. Sharp, jagged wounds decorated Miroku's chest. He had a deep cut above his eye and punctures on his throat.

"She is mine. You can _never_ have claim on her. You can never touch her." The deep, blood-thirsty tone in Sesshoumaru's voice was nothing short of petrifying. The houshi muttered prayers and apologies for his sins as he closed his eyes, awaiting his imminent death.

"S-Sesshoumaru!" Sango's voice was pained and shaky as she called to the father of her child. "I-I think something's wrong!" The Daiyoukai froze. He turned wide eyes upon the panicked taiji-ya. Standing up, he stepped on the houshi in an attempt to race over to his mate. Miroku drifted in and out of consciousness but he distinctly remembered Sesshoumaru dragging him into the woods by his broken arm and beating him just short of death.

**XxX**

"My baby..." Sango was shaking in her sleep. Sesshoumaru had no choice but to put her out until he could figure out what was wrong with her. He had taken care of the houshi and had propped up her odd device for deflecting rain then rested her in a place that wasn't completely mud. It was up to him to discover what happened to the child. It was under a lot of stress, of that he could tell.

"My lord?" A voice caused the Daiyoukai to freeze. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" Just what he needed. He continued on, ignoring the young girl as well as his silent servant. Ripping open the kimono, he searched for bruises and anything else that would bring harm. She had fallen but he could tell that the child was fine just by the fact that it was reacting to his signals.

"Sango." He shook the taiji-ya, pressing the youki through her system until she woke up. "The child is fine." He closed her kimono and tied it rather loosely. Relief flooded her expression as she sat up and embraced him.

"I am so...sorry." Sesshoumaru looked down at her in curiosity. What was she apologizing for? "I was so reckless... I could've hurt our baby." Her voice was quiet and he sensed guilt in her tone.

"Foolish taiji-ya." He set a hand on her back before pushing her gently away. "The child is stronger than a human. It is not nearly as fragile. Pregnant youkai get into fights so youkai or hanyou, the child is strong." Sango stared up at him, hoping against hope that he didn't leave her alone. She didn't want to be alone and after he had chased Miroku away, the least he could do was get her to the nearest village.

"Sesshoumaru." Reaching out to him, she nearly pleaded with him to grip it or at least to help her stand. He picked her up and turned to his companions. "Are you..."

"I am dropping you off at the nearest village. There will undoubtedly be a priestess that can help you." He took off, knowing that Rin and Jaken followed on Ah-Un. He would've preferred if they hadn't followed him against his orders. In fact, he doubted it was Rin's idea. He would just have to deal with Jaken later.

**XxX**

"You are such a stupid idiot. No wonder he beat the shit out of you." Inuyasha set the bone and moved so that Kagome could wrap it again. "You don't fuck with a youkai's mate and live. I don't know how the hell you're still alive."

"He doesn't deserve her. He doesn't even want her." The houshi winced, his jaw still tender from where he was punched. He was black and blue all over. "She doesn't want him, either."

"Still, there's nothing you can do." The hanyou watched as Miroku glared up at him.

"You don't...get it, Inuyasha. She was dying. He marked her because he had no other option." Inuyasha didn't want to listen to the houshi's words. He convinced himself that he just didn't want to know. He had told Sango that he was through with her. She had done the one thing that he had deemed as betrayal. Why she had shoved his second chance in his face, he had no idea.

"I don't give a shit, Miroku! I'm done with her. I don't want to deal with this problem right now." Even Kagome looked at him in what he took to be a condescending look. "I gave her a fucking second chance and she blew it! I've given her more than a fair share of chances and she blew it. It isn't my fault and I damn well ain't giving more!" He stormed over to the door. "I hope you're fucking ready to go tomorrow, houshi. You'd better pray you can walk or else we're going without you."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's frustrated cry fell on deaf ears as he was no longer inside nor even in hearing range anymore. The miko looked down at the houshi. "What possessed you to go after her like that? You should've known how Sesshoumaru could be."

"I couldn't stand it." He answered honestly. "I want her to be with me. I do not wish for her emotional suffering. She is not going to be happy with him."

"Miroku, as much as I want her happiness, I know that I can't do anything to convince Inuyasha to take her back." She looked over at the door. "He isn't someone that forgives so easily. She just has to get through to him."

"Kagome, we've got to get her to come back." Kagome didn't like the tone in the houshi's voice. "I just can't afford to lose her now." She sighed and shook her head.

"Inuyasha wouldn't like that. Besides, Sango wouldn't come back unless Inuyasha told her to himself. We've just got to wait this out. Those two are stubborn but you know how loyal Sango is. She won't let Inuyasha come to harm if she can help it." With a reassuring smile, she bid the houshi to rest. "I'll check on you later, okay?"

"Thank you."

Kagome approached the well and sat on it, a soft frown caressing her face. Things were falling apart so easily. Inuyasha was pissed off at Sango because Sesshoumaru marked her as his mate. Then he proceeded, in his anger, to kick her out of the group.

"Kagome-chan?" Shippou approached her, rubbing his eyes. He was crying. "What'll happen to Sango-chan?"

"I don't know, Shippou." She bent down and picked the little kitsune up. "All we can do is hope and pray that she stays safe." He sat in her lap, trying to stop crying. "Just get your rest, okay?"

"Okay..." He curled up, closing his eyes as he wished that Sango remained safe and sound. Kagome soothingly ran her fingers through his auburn hair. She was silently praying for the same.

**XxX**

"Sesshoumaru-sama." Sango curled up in his arms, burying her face in his kimono. "Who is this human wench? She seems familiar..." The weapon that was balanced on Kirara looked vaguely familiar to the youkai vassal. "Is she from Inuyasha's group?"

"I think she's a strong warrior!" Rin stated as she looked at the weapon. "She's very pretty. Maybe she's a princess!" To be honest, they were giving Sesshoumaru a headache. Sango was thinking of cutting Jaken in half with Hiraikotsu.

"Oh, please! She's dressed like a peasant." The little toad snorted. "She smells terrible. And she's pregnant with a hanyou child. My guess is that she belonged in a brothel-"

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru looked back and gave him a murderous glare. Headache was turning into migraine. Sango smiled slightly and hugged the Daiyoukai a little tighter. Her arms were around his neck and he was carrying her bridal style. He looked down at her with a lighter expression than his usual stoic one. "Are you well?" The taiji-ya's eyes opened and she looked up at him in surprise.

"I feel fine now. Only...my head hurts a little." He looked back up at the outline of the village they were approaching. She followed his gaze.

"There is no cure for that, taiji-ya." Her smile fell when she noticed the village. She didn't want to be left alone in a village. Tightening her grip, the taiji-ya closed her eyes and relaxed. Perhaps if she didn't see them leave, she wouldn't be so lonely. If she was asleep, she couldn't see them leave.

Later that evening, Sango awoke to the sounds of someone entering her room. The young priestess smiled at her as she set the candle on the floor and knelt down.

"Hello, Lady. I was informed to check up on you." The taiji-ya sat up, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How is the condition of the child?"

"It is well." She smiled slightly. The priestess nodded and rested her hand over Sango's swollen belly, seeming to concentrate. She could sense pulsing youki. It seemed that the child was not stressing and appeared to be fine.

"I sense nothing out of the ordinary for youkai children. Are you certain that your body is under no stress?" The young woman seemed to know quite a bit about youkai children and hanyou, it seemed.

"I don't think so... My body feels fine." The priestess began to massage her muscles. She relaxed them with spiritual energy before working stress from the taiji-ya's limbs.

"Your body is thoroughly exhausted, Lady. Are you certain that nothing has happened to cause such a reaction?"

"Well...I did almost die..."

**XxX**

_We're moving along at a pretty good pace now. Sesshoumaru and Sango appear to be getting closer. The Daiyoukai now appears to be backing those possessive threats. Wonder what is to become of the houshi's feelings for the taiji-ya._

_At any rate, you guys have been so supportive and I only hope that you are enjoying this._

_I'll keep writing as much as I can but right now I'm caught in a pretty tough spot. I'll try not to disappoint! So, please, keep giving me as much support as you can. I love your comments! They make me so happy!_

_Thank you!_

_-Angel_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Inuyasha has kicked Sango out of the group and refuses to have anything to do with her. But Miroku doesn't want that. He goes after her in an attempt to gain her back! However, Sesshoumaru shows up and beats him within an inch of his life. The jealous emotion he shows backs up his earlier possessive threats. But will Miroku really give up?

Again, what of Naraku?

_10_

**XxX**

Naraku. The hanyou had managed to evade them. He pushed them away from his hiding spot using armies of youkai. The new moon was gone and Sango detested that. Her mahogany eyes roamed across the blood-stained earth. Kirara mewed in an attempt to sooth her distressed and angry mistress. The taiji-ya was going through terrible mood swings. Especially since she was alone. Days had gone by. Just a little more than two weeks had passed since Inuyasha had banished her. That had been the night of the new moon, no less. How foolish.

"Come on, Kirara. Even if it isn't the night of the new moon, the least we can do is try to locate Naraku." They had hardly paid any attention to Naraku throughout the entire ordeal. "I think he's hiding somewhere around here. A couple of miles away, maybe." The thing that pissed her off most was that she didn't fit in her taiji-ya uniform anymore. Evidence... Her stomach had swollen quite a bit since she'd seen her friends.

_It looked like the youkai came from this general direction... How we're supposed to find him, I don't know. And what of Kagura and the other incarnations? That child like Hakudoushi... I doubt if he left it just anywhere._

Naraku was a bastard for hiding. He was such a coward.

"Come out and fight, you asshole!" She screamed, pure anger influencing that particular mood swing. Kirara moved on ahead, already picking her way through the edge of the thick foliage of the woods. The taiji-ya followed. She wanted nothing more than to dissect the asshole that had murdered her brother and her family.

Hours later, she was still trudging through trees and bushes. Only, she was hot, sweaty, tired, and irritable. Kirara led her mistress to a small stream and sat down. Sango sighed. How she wished that she could find Inuyasha and punch the living daylights out of him. The odd part of her search for Naraku was that it seemed like no one was even searching for him. Sango sat down and took off her sandals before soaking her feet in the cool stream. Then she took one of her cloths from her bag and soaked it before wiping off her face and neck.

"Thirsty, Kirara?" She pulled out a bowl and filled it before setting it in front of her neko. "A drink sounds pretty good..."

They camped out that night in the same spot. Sango was having a terrible time sleeping. It was warm and humid. She loosened the front of her kimono. It didn't bother her much since she still wore her wraps. Sweat glistened on her skin. Suddenly, she sat up and went to the stream, drenching herself in cold water. She went right to sleep.

**XxX**

The woods were dense and hard to walk through. Sango was having a terrible time picking her way through the small spaces and bushes, some of which had thorns. She managed to keep up with Kirara, which was a plus. By the time noon swung around, the taiji-ya was exhausted. Hot and sweaty once again, she was forced to sit on the ground. Kirara would have transformed if there had been enough room. After a few minutes, she grudgingly got back to her feet and they continued walking. Soon, their wooded surroundings yielded to a vast field. Scorched grasses and dead trees obstructed Sango's vision. Kirara transformed and allowed her mistress on her back before taking to the skies.

"Naraku had to have been here..." There was a rather large area where the grass didn't grow. "Large enough for one of those phantom castles... Let's go down, Kirara. I have a feeling..." Sango jumped off of her neko's back as soon as they landed. She walked around, testing the air. "This is definitely the miasma..."

_Naraku was here. He must have moved as soon as he was back at his height of power._

However, after that change he had undergone, she wasn't sure how powerless he really was in his weakened state. Sure, Inuyasha was stripped of his youki as well as his appearance but...was that the case with Naraku?

"Kirara?" She didn't think that she'd find anything unless the cocky bastard left a trail. But he never did. "Come on. We should go to a village close to here and see if they can tell us anything."

Hours later, Sango was once again frustrated and let down. Asking around the village had done nothing but get her aggravated. She was just about to give up when a memory surfaced. A nasty memory. The thought of it made her ill so she retired to bed.

_No matter how tired I am...I can never get to sleep..._

It was a good thing she was so restless because she suddenly sensed youki. It seemed oddly familiar... She got up and tightened her obi before grabbing all of her weapons and her gas mask. Her hair was tied up rather messily but she didn't care, since she got out there in time. The youkai was a grotesque monster. That was the only way to describe it. It didn't look tough as nails. It's youki wasn't that powerful. It wasn't anything spectacular but it challenged her. It could have once been part of Naraku but she couldn't be sure. Sango looked down at the body, chest heaving. The reality of her situation was terrible, harder to face than she cared to admit.

"Kirara." The neko looked up at her solemn mistress, tilting her head to the side. "Let's leave." Sango wanted to cry. She wanted to but she wouldn't allow herself. As much as she wanted to continue her journey, she knew it wouldn't be long before she was unable to travel. Kirara transformed, lowering herself so that the pregnant taiji-ya could get on with ease.

**XxX**

Inuyasha had kicked her out. He had really done it. She betrayed him. Twice. At first, he had felt a foreign feeling welling up inside of him. Guilt, was it? He hadn't felt guilt since he thought Kikyou's death was his fault. The feeling receded quickly enough to not be a problem.

"Inuyasha..." All the other two had been talking about was her. When Kagome's voice reached his ears, Inuyasha almost cringed. Since the hanyou didn't possess a conscience, it seemed like the miko was willing to take up the position. All she did was harp at him. He was beginning to hear her when she wasn't talking. "I'm really worried. I can't take this anymore." He was about ready to lose it. Okay, about was kind of an understatement.

"Look, I don't give a flyin' fuck about what the hell happens to her. It was her decision to be with my asshole brother. Let her go to him for help. Let him deal with her problems." The insensitive hanyou was immediately 'sat.'

"What kind of language is that? Don't you even feel sorry for throwing a pregnant girl out? The pregnant girl that is carrying your niece or nephew? Oh, how about the girl that was loyal enough to follow you wherever you went? What about her? Wait, what about Naraku? Isn't he still out there?" Her tone was angry and condescending. Her eyes were narrowed. She was going the whole nine yards. "I never thought that you could be such an insensitive jerk!" Miroku and Shippou had remained silent through every single one of their bouts.

"Stupid bitch! Shut up, already!" Inuyasha growled threateningly. "How many times do we have to fight about this? I'm getting fucking sick of your mouth!" The hanyou was then too angry to spit out insults or even obscenities. Shocking. Their fight only stopped them from speaking for an entire day. The houshi was quite sick of their bickering. He only wished that his stubborn idiot of a friend would realize his mistake and take Sango back, if she would even return. He missed her. It had been weeks since he had seen her last. Truth be told, he was worried sick. The knowledge that nothing other than solid proof of her well-being would resolve that feeling drove him mad.

_Sango..._

**XxX**

Sango felt wave after wave of depression slowly engulf her in a sea of misery. All she wanted to do was cry. In fact, she was shocked at how easy it was to cry. Three or four months along and she was a wreck, the result of mood swings and sometimes even nausea. She longed to be held, to have someone hold her close and comfort her. But no! There was absolutely no one that could ease her pain.

"And I can't even blame Inuyasha!" She yelled in frustration, startling Kirara from her slumber. "All I can do is wish that he's happier without me around; that his decision is making him happier." A tear rolled down her face but she angrily wiped it away, cursing herself for being so weak. "I don't even have anyone to yell at. Is it so much to ask that I have someone to scream my lungs out at?" Inuyasha had been a good verbal sparring partner. Hell, she was even desperate enough to settle for Sesshoumaru if he would show his face so that she could scream at him. Her neko curled back up, satisfied that there were not any youkai around to attack them. Sango did the same and tried to fall asleep but found that her mind was working overtime. So, sleep eluded her.

It wouldn't have been so bad if sleep had come during the next few nights. Alas, she was out of luck with sleep so she opted for the other solution. Sitting up and cursing everything. Gradually her moods became worse, sporting a rather eventful time with villagers. The pregnant taiji-ya was at the end of her rope.

"Kirara, this is getting sickening. We should just go home. Forget Naraku for now. I can't find him anywhere, no matter how hard I look. This is so damn frustrating!" Sango said to her neko as they left a village. "He will not come out of hiding and my stomach isn't getting any smaller. Damn that bastard of a Daiyoukai. Trust him to leave me when I'm having problems that he doesn't want to deal with." Kirara rumbled her response as they flew above the trees. It was harder than she could ever imagine. A few hours more of travel brought Sango and Kirara to a halt. Sango sensed Inuyasha and the others. Tears stung at her eyes as she commanded her neko to move in a different direction. However, she also sensed a partial aura of Naraku closing in on the group. She made a decision. With a swift command, the taiji-ya told the neko to go to the source of youki.

The youkai...there were at least ten of them, searching for something. The taiji-ya landed on her feet as her neko landed beside her. Hiraikotsu was out and her wakizashi was at her hip.

"Come if you want blood." Their glowing red eyes and glinting fangs gave away their deepest desires. "I want answers but I doubt you are smart enough to give them to me..." She ran at them, swinging her weapon out, watching as it split two youkai in half before coming back around and taking one more head off. Seven more; their beady, glowing eyes narrowed, focused their attention on her.

"Blood." One of them brandished his long, sharp talons as he swiped them at her. "Give me your blood, girl." She side-stepped him and used her large bone boomerang as a blade, swinging it out and taking the arm off of her opponent. Kirara let out a ferocious roar, attacking two of the youkai that were daring enough to try and attack from behind.

Inuyasha and the others sensed the youkai. The hanyou knew the youki surrounding them. It had been the one they were searching for. He could barely sense it but he thought he detected a pulse of a stressing youkai. A familiar stressing pulse. They quickened their pace, arriving to see a valiant battle.

"What the fuck!?" Inuyasha's eyes were on the woman that was blocking the youkai's path to him and his group. She barely batted an eyelash as she pushed her wakizashi in a burst of strength, taking advantage of her opponent's lapse of attention. She ran her crimson-stained blade through the last of the youkai before a soft frown graced her features. The taiji-ya cleaned the blade by swinging it and watching as the blood ran off the edge.

"Sango!" Kagome was about to rush to her friend when Inuyasha put his hand out. Turning to the group, Sango regarded them with an empty gaze. "W-What..."

"My battle is now over. Allow me a moment to gather my things before I take leave." The hanyou watched her, looking at the ten bodies that littered the ground.

"How can you still fight?" Miroku asked softly, eying her stomach with concern. A small drop of blood left the corner of her mouth as she continued to gather her bag and weapons. "Sango-"

"I have no choice. I must continue to fight until I defeat Naraku. If I cannot fight then what use am I to myself? What kind of guardian am I to my child? How else would I survive?" Her voice was cold, hinting toward truth.

"What about Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked quietly, her eyes bright with tears. Had the Daiyoukai even checked on her?

"What about him?" Obviously, nothing had changed. "He is probably off doing something more important. I haven't seen him since he dropped me off at a village after Houshi-sama..." She trailed off, looking away. "Anyway, I have lingered enough." She stood tall and settled her hand on her stomach. Inuyasha frowned, looking away from her. Kagome fought down a sob as she ran forward, embracing her friend tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Sango! I wish there was something that I could do..." Sango was frozen in shock for a brief moment before she dropped her things and returned the caring gesture. The taiji-ya attempted to settle the miko's emotions with comforting words.

"There is nothing you can do, Kagome-chan. All I can tell you is to keep up your guard. Naraku's moved since the last attack and he's covered his tracks again." She pulled away, keeping the younger girl at arm's length. "Be careful, okay? Promise me that you'll be careful." Kagome looked down.

"As long as you promise the same..."

"Sango, you say Naraku has moved? Then what was this attack all about?" Miroku watched her with a small frown. She wouldn't look at him. "Was it a diversion? Perhaps to keep us going in this particular direction?"

"I don't have any answers. All I know is that he moved...probably right after his recovery." The taiji-ya let go of her friend's shoulders.

"How long will you continue to travel like this? You can't possibly do it for much longer." Kagome was hesitant to take her eyes off of her, almost afraid she would disappear. "You should find a place to stay." Sango's eyes darkened.

"I will continue to travel until I give birth. I have no one to stay with me so I may as well just continue on my way. Besides, Sesshoumaru told me himself that youkai babies are stronger than humans." She said quietly. "I will be fine. Nothing will hinder my victory over Naraku to protect others from his violence and to avenge those that he has killed." Her eyes went to her things. "I should be on my way." Kirara understood her tone and walked closer so that her mistress could climb on. The taiji-ya gathered her things and looked towards Inuyasha. "Even though I am no longer a friend in your eyes, I will continue to watch over you and make sure that you do not come to harm." With those last words, she gave Kirara the command and they were off.

**XxX**

Kagome watched the fire, sniffling as she attempted to stop her tears. Sango was still watching over them, even though she was no longer wanted by Inuyasha. The miko thought that the taiji-ya's actions showed true strength and courage and selflessness. It made her wish that she could still share those girl talks with her. That she could still ask for advice from the woman she thought of as an older sister.

"Kagome." Miroku sat down next to her and set his hand on her shoulder. She shot him a dirty look. After all, wasn't it all his fault? Sango never would've been with Sesshoumaru if Miroku had been man enough to stop his womanizing. Not to mention that she wasn't up to being groped. He removed his hand with a sigh. Everything on him had healed with the exception of his broken arm. He still had a few weeks to go. "I understand what you are going through... I, myself, have gone through the same thing. Inuyasha will not seem to forgive her, even if she is still willing to put her life in danger for him, to protect him."

"I know. I still just can't believe how selfless and caring she is. How are we going to get her back? I've tried making him guilty, I've tried getting mad at him for it...nothing works!" She wanted to sit the hanyou a couple hundred times. Maybe pain would-

"I am not certain but I doubt if he will take back what he said. Obviously, he meant it. She had broken his trust in her, even though it wasn't her fault. Inuyasha is not a saint. He doesn't have to forgive her. He doesn't have to understand." Kagome looked over, a frown creasing her features.

"Sounds like you've done just that. Did you forgive Sango because you're a houshi? Or did you forgive her because you love her?" For once, the houshi didn't have an immediate answer to give. He did love Sango. But was he such an all-forgiving man? No, he wasn't. He would never forgive Naraku for what he did. So he must have really loved her to forgive her. After all, it wasn't like she loved Sesshoumaru.

"I love her." He whispered. Kagome's frown only deepened. It was worse than she thought. "I want her back."

Inuyasha stormed through the woods, seething.

_That wretched bitch! How dare she say something like that to me? Acing all selfless and shit! She's got a whole lot of nerve. That stupid-_

He continued sulking throughout the entire night, doing nothing but running her words through his head. It pissed him off. She was acting like such a good friend when she had betrayed him twice, maybe even more than that. Miroku and Kagome had been nothing but annoying and Shippou had been unbearable. He hadn't even been able to say anything to the taiji-ya. If he had opened his mouth, he would have started bawling and wailing. Inuyasha had been nothing short of inhuman. His attitude was getting Kagome pissed off enough to actually consider going home for about a month or two. Miroku wanted to go off on his own and search for Sango. It seemed that the houshi had completely forgotten about the Kazaana. Their group was falling apart at the seams and they could only watch as it unraveled before their very eyes.

**XxX**

Sango went back to her village. It only took her a couple of days and, by then, she was bound and determined to make Inuyasha see that she did not betray him.

"Well, Kirara, we can take a break for a little bit and then try again." The taiji-ya smiled slightly as they landed inside the gates. It actually felt good to be back in her village. After paying her respects, she got settled in and went to sleep.

Waking up to the sound of the gate opening was not very pleasant to her. Especially when she was disoriented from sleeping for so long. Her body didn't want to move but she was forced to get up. She felt so dizzy as she attempted to walk to the door of her house. Practically falling outside, she steadied herself in preparation to fight the intruder. However, when she set her eyes on him, fight became an understatement. She wanted to _murder_ the intruder.

"What are you doing here?" Her mind was completely awake and her body was suddenly rigid, as though she had just gotten into a stream of cold water. "What do you want now?"

"Do not command me, taiji-ya." Sesshoumaru glared at her, his eyes narrowed. "What are you up to, traveling everywhere?" He walked over to her, pulling on her obi and opening the front of her kimono. She had a cut across the front of her left shoulder, right above her breast. "Battling in your condition... Endangering your life as well as the life of your child."

"Don't you even start with me, Sesshoumaru. If you had been around, none of that would have ever happened. My search for Naraku wouldn't be half as complicated as going on nothing!" His amber eyes narrowed at her.

"You are searching for Naraku? You cannot defeat him in your condition! Are you mad?" He gripped her arm and pulled her closer, nearly snarling at her.

"No, I am completely sane. You are the one that's mad! Getting me pregnant before Naraku was killed! What a monumentally stupid mistake that was!" He wanted to hit her. But there was a code for mates. He couldn't strike her. Not even if he wanted to. Which he did. However, she didn't know that, did she?

"You are impossibly irritating." The Daiyoukai bared his fangs, glaring at the taiji-ya with cold, murderous eyes. "If you do not watch your mouth, you will suffer some very nasty consequences." His threat didn't even seen to faze her. In fact, it only seemed to fuel her fire even more. She glared at him with as much force as she could.

"Go ahead. Do your worst, Sesshoumaru! Show me what the hell it is you can possibly do to me to make this worse." He stared at her, expressionless. "As far as it looks, I can't get much lower than I am now!"

"Quiet, taiji-ya." He _really_ wanted to strike her. Willing to give himself a compliment, he realized how well he was doing restraining himself.

"I'm not finished, you arrogant-"

"You are coming with me." Sango stopped. Her wrath-filled words froze in her throat and nearly choked her. With wide eyes, she stared at him in pure shock. "I will not stand for your reckless actions. You will accompany me until the birth of the child."

"But-"

"I am after Naraku, as well. However, I am not making it known. If I was, he would become paranoid and escape my grasp." His voice was low, as though he were sharing a secret. "We may find him and we may not. Do not get your hopes up or you may become disappointed." She reached forward, wanting to draw him closer.

"Sesshoumaru..." He was rigid in her embrace. After all, with the way the taiji-ya was acting, how could he be sure what she would do next? "This is one of the least selfish things you've done for me. You marked me as your mate to save me and succeeded in getting your brother to throw me out... Since then, you have done nothing." The taiji-ya let go of him, staring up into his eyes. "But I can't go with you. I need to find Naraku on my own and defeat him as such."

"You are going with me, taiji-ya. End of story."

"I will not be confined to your side until this child is born!" He snarled and grabbed hold of her shoulders. "You will do nothing but control my every move. I don't want that!"

"Taiji-ya-"

"No!" She almost screamed when he shoved her back into the wall. He had his fangs bared and set against her throat. "Sesshoumaru-" His glare made her close her mouth.

"You _will_ go with me. It is for the safety of the child." Already she could feel her child begin to panic. She had no choice but to ease off on the fighting. Her eyes went to the floor just before her body went limp against him.

"All right. I will go with you." Her soft voice was tight and cold, as though she didn't even want to say those words. A smirk formed on his lips as he released her and allowed her to gather her things. Kirara sat near the wall, her watchful eyes shifting between her mistress and her mistress's mate. As long as Sango was safe, she would be happy. The taiji-ya took only a few minutes to pack. As she walked toward the gate, where Sesshoumaru waited for her, she reflected that perhaps the bad decision would have been to not go with him. She only hoped that the thought was the right one.

**XxX**

_Well, that's all for 10. I am rather proud of this chapter. Quite a bit has happened which will lead to much more excitement and maybe even a little romance to those hopeless romantics._

_Keep an eye out for 11 but, until then, you can review this chapter and let me know what you thought!_

_-Angel_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sesshoumaru has forced Sango to go with him after finding out about her recklessness. Inuyasha remains adamant about her banishment while Kagome and Miroku try to change his mind. Sango still hopes to find Naraku as soon as possible.

_11_

**XxX**

Sango knew the instant that she agreed to go with him, that her life would be a living hell. All she wanted to do was continue her search; _alone_. She fought with Sesshoumaru left and right about every little thing. Jaken even got his staff shoved down his throat for a demeaning comment that he threw her way. The only one that she got along with was Rin. It had only been three days and already she was wishing that she hadn't agreed to go with him.

_I just need to bide my time. I can strike out on my own soon enough, when Sesshoumaru seems secure that I am staying. Then, Naraku, you had better start praying._

However, she had to admit that Sesshoumaru was pretty giving about stopping. Any time she needed to rest, he stopped without a single word. Of course, he seemed pissed off if they lingered too long but that was starting to stop. The taiji-ya began to notice small things about the Daiyoukai. She could practically paint his emotions on a blank canvas, even when he looked stoic and expressionless. Some portion of her mind continually told her that it was because of the bond.

"We are stopping here for the night." That was all he said before he left them to sit in a small clearing. Sango looked up, noticing that there was a canopy of trees with hardly any view of the sky. She told Kirara to take her up so that she could clear away some of the branches.

"Sango-san, why are you cutting branches?" Rin was a curious girl, always looking for answers to any question that popped into her head. Sango looked over and smiled.

"Well, if I don't make a hole, there will be no place for the smoke to go. This forest is dense with a lot of canopy. That, and I wanted to watch the stars tonight. I think it should be a clear night." The taiji-ya looked at the hole in success. "Just like the roof of a house."

"I see! Sango-san, you are so smart!" The little girl cheered brightly. "And so pretty! You remind me of a princess." Sango flushed as she commanded Kirara to go back to the ground. Rin told Ah-Un to do the same. "Sesshoumaru-sama saved you once, didn't he?"

"Hm?" Rin frowned slightly.

"That time when you thought something was wrong with your baby." Suddenly, the taiji-ya recalled the incident. "I hope your baby is strong."

"It will be." Sango knew it was strong. She didn't have any doubts.

**XxX**

"Sesshoumaru, we have to stop!" The Daiyoukai was very stubborn when it came to her demands. He continued walking as though he hadn't heard her. "Sesshoumaru!" Sango was getting pissed off. Extremely pissed off. The taiji-ya then gathered her weapons and began to storm away, in the direction of the swell of youki.

"Taiji-ya." He was suddenly in front of her. "Where do you believe you are going?" Glaring at him defiantly, she turned to the side. However, his speed was greater than hers as he was always in front of her.

"There is youki in the area and you know what that means. A village isn't too far from here!" He continued to stare at her with his even expression. "I am a taiji-ya, dammit! I have to protect them!" She yelled at him, clenching her fists. "How can you just continue walking like it means nothing?"

"Taiji-ya, I have no time to play with lesser youkai. We have lingered here enough." His voice was tinged with irritability.

"Well, you can keep going without me. Maybe I'll catch up when I'm finished." She snapped, moving away from him and walking in the direction of the youki.

"Why must you fight with me about such trivial things? I told you that we have no time!" Halting in her tracks, Sango looked back at him with an icy glare.

"No, _you_ have no time for innocent lives. I have a duty to protect them, even at the risk of my own life." They continued to fight about it until the youki disappeared. "What in the..." Kirara had left without their knowledge and defeated the lesser youkai without a problem. Sango beamed at her neko and rushed over with words of praise falling from her lips. "Good job, Kirara!" The neko rumbled a proud response. She just wanted things to move along.

Needless to say, however, the fight had forced the Daiyoukai and the taiji-ya into a silent treatment contest. Whoever spoke first lost. Sango could already feel Hell's flames licking at her skin.

**XxX**

The silence was ebbing away at the patience of the young miko. Kagome was so upset at Inuyasha for allowing Sango to slip through their fingers. She didn't know any way to take her anger out other than the cold shoulder. In all actuality, she was being rather merciful. She could have 'sat' the hanyou into oblivion.

"Kagome-san, do you happen to know where our hanyou friend is leading us?" Miroku's quiet words reached her ears, causing her to look over in curiosity. "Is this not the direction that will lead us back to the first dead end path?"

_Now that he mentions it... Inuyasha isn't even paying any attention to where we're going, otherwise he would've turned us around by now. Something must be on his mind. I wonder if he could be guilty for his harsh actions...?_

The thought that she was being just a bit too hopeful crossed her mind. She was over-estimating Inuyasha's human side. It must have been just as cruel as its opposite.

"I don't know where he thinks he's going. I wasn't even paying attention." She looked to Shippou, who was perched on Miroku's shoulder with a small frown on his face. "I wish we could just go find Sango and get her back ourselves. This is going way too far."

"I agree. I miss her so..." The forlorn houshi looked rather pathetic with his eyes downcast, sporting a sad glare. "He must reconsider."

"Doubt it." Shippou muttered, tears beginning to shine in his bright emerald eyes. "He's too stubborn." Kagome bit her lip thoughtfully as she looked ahead at the sulking hanyou.

_Perhaps with some persuasion..._

Later on in the evening, Kagome was cooking ramen for their tiny group. She was still thoughtful on the subject of getting Inuyasha to agree to her terms.

"What's with the stupid look on your face?" The comment was met with a forceful glare. "Stop daydreaming and cook the damn ramen!"

"I am cooking it, stupid!" Her temper flared almost instantly at him, which wasn't a good sign for them. "If you weren't so pig-headed, you might be able to see that!"

"Bitch. I didn't ask for you to fucking impair my hearing!"

"Shut up and stop using that language around Shippou!"

"Make me!" The childish fight continued until the furious miko announced that the ramen was done. As the hanyou's punishment, he had to wait until everyone had theirs before he was allowed any. "Stupid harpy." He cursed her under his breath as he stalked off to eat by himself.

"That went well." Miroku stated, sarcasm surfacing in his voice. Kagome frowned and looked away, still angry at their hanyou friend.

"He pisses me off so easily anymore. I don't know what's going on in his head half the time anymore. This just makes me want to go home." She couldn't even use that against Inuyasha anymore. He'd just tell her to go ahead and leave. "But I have to figure out a way to get him to take Sango back. We've tried explaining what happened but he doesn't listen to that anymore."

"All will be well, Kagome-san. Just try and be patient." Telling her to be patient was rather pointless. He couldn't even be patient anymore.

Her thoughts kept her up all night. The next morning, she wanted nothing more than to cry. They were getting nowhere on both of their missions. Miroku looked haggard and weary, bags beginning to form beneath his usually bright violet eyes. Kagome was tempted to ask him what was wrong but thought better of it.

"We going or what?" It was only sunrise and the day was looking like shit. It looked cloudy, like it was going to rain. Not to mention that everyone was on pins and needles, bad moods all around. Hardly anything was said until they were forced into shelter by pouring rain and lightning. That was around noon; according to Kagome's watch.

_I really want to go back home. On a day like this I would've stayed in bed and then relaxed in my pajamas until I got into a nice hot bath. Instead, I'm stuck out here in the cold, damp woods with these idiots as companions._

Inuyasha was as moody as a teenager with PMS. One minute he would bite their heads off for saying one word and the next he would storm off silently, sulking. Kagome nearly laughed at her thoughts but she resisted, figuring that it would only make things worse.

"Kagome-san, do you not have a game for days like this in your time?" Miroku's quiet voice forced the miko back into consciousness. For half a second, she stood there, feeling stupid until she snapped her fingers and pulled out a pen and one of her notebooks.

"This may seem stupid but me and my friends used to do this during class." She taught him the basics of hangman and tic-tac-toe and the like. Luckily, they were sitting beneath a tree and they had her umbrella propped open to catch stray raindrops.

Hours dragged as they played the games, hoping the rain would stop enough so that they could continue.

"I'm bored!" Shippou was whining every five seconds. That was, until Inuyasha hit him on the head and cursed the kitsune out for being loud and annoying. Then Kagome unleashed the word and made the entire group go silent.

"This is getting out of control! Inuyasha, it's time that you come to terms with what you really did." The hanyou lifted himself from the damp ground, curses sealed behind his tight frown.

"I don't want to talk about it. How many times are you going to harp at me before you get the point?" He looked down at his clothes. "Fuck!" He continued muttering for several minutes before he began to stalk off in a different direction. "I'm going to find a river."

"Inuyasha." Miroku's voice was quiet, yet loud enough to cause the angry hanyou to look back. "If you do not consider our current problem then I will be forced to excuse myself from this group." Inuyasha merely snorted and continued on his way.

_So what? They want to leave, I'm not gonna stop them. Bunch of fucking traitors, if you ask me._

**XxX**

Sango brushed her fingers through Rin's short black hair. The little girl was fast asleep, as it was nearing midnight. The fire had died low but Sango remained awake. The taiji-ya couldn't sleep. Her troubled mind was far from sleep.

_Will my baby be like this? I wonder what my child will look like? Will he or she be like Inuyasha? No, I won't ever let mistrust go that far._

She would protect her baby forever. Her eyes trailed the invisible path to where Sesshoumaru rested at the base of a tree. Their fighting had briefly subsided, which made her think about the relationship they had. Neither really had any feelings for the other. She wasn't in love with the Daiyoukai. Sometimes, she could feel that she liked him but that was as far as her feelings stretched. He didn't even believe in love so it wasn't hard to figure out how he felt.

_Sometimes I feel like I can love him. But...he keeps me so far away. It's like I'm not even his mate..._

Truth be told, he was being less violent toward her ever since he had forced her to travel with him. He was always stoic and expressionless, yet it seemed less intense. Rin even acted out less. It was as though the girl could sense the change in her father figure.

"Why are you still awake?" Sango jumped and looked over, watching as he shifted. "You have to rise early." She moved slowly away from Rin.

"I can't sleep." Walking closer, she paused only once in her steps. He watched her silently as she sat next to him.

"Is it the child?" He couldn't detect any stressing from the baby so he didn't know why she couldn't sleep. He felt her rest her head on his shoulder.

"No." Sesshoumaru was confused by her antics. She fought with him constantly, hardly talked to him, and she even pulled away from him when he had tried to calm the child.

_Why is she seeking my touch now? Humans are such odd creatures._

"I just...couldn't get to sleep. It's like my mind does not want to ease." Sango felt bold. If he was going to open up to her, it would be when they were alone. If she was going to get anywhere with him, they had to be alone. She climbed into his lap and stared him in the face. It was pretty dark but, for some reason, she could see him just fine. Perhaps it was his coloring. "You don't need sleep?"

"No." He stared down at her, perplexed that she was being so mild and tame. "I only need it when I am exhausted or wounded." Her eyes were studying him, memorizing his face and markings.

"Were you born with these?" She traced his crescent. "Or did you earn your stripes?" Her lips pulled back into a smirk.

"I earned them." He proceeded to tell her what she asked, to certain limitations. She felt wonderful that he was actually talking to her. Pehaps if she spent time with him like that more often, then he would be better with her all the time. One thing that she really didn't mind was falling asleep with her head on his shoulder, her breath probably tickling his neck.

**XxX**

Kagome bit her lip as she sought after the hanyou. He had been gone for hours and the rain had even let up. The miko was concerned for him. All they had been doing was yelling at him, starting fights with him, and putting him down. She felt bad for him but, in a way, he kind of deserved it. Sango did nothing wrong yet he wouldn't even let her explain herself.

"Inuyasha!" She called, hoping that her call wouldn't drive him away. "Inuyasha, where are you?" The miko felt stupid. She was probably drawing attention to herself in the worst way.

"Stupid, what are you doing?" The hanyou startled her by landing right behind her, a scowl present on his face. "Calling out for me isn't such a smart idea." She ducked her head and flushed, not really used to being so close to him. "What'd you want, anyway?"

"The rain stopped. I figured that you would want to go on before dark. Maybe we can find a village." Inuyasha didn't look pleased but he didn't looked pissed, either. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. About all that's happened." He looked away from her and almost started walking away. "But...it really wasn't her decision at all. You shouldn't have shoved her away like that. At least not before you heard what happened."

"Why? Obviously, they're mated. That only happens at the height-"

"She told me that! She said that he used almost all of his youki because he didn't do it that way. He wasn't even at his height." She reached out and grasped his haori. "She didn't want to betray you. She was so afraid that you would hate her. But she was going to die, Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru was actually selfless. He bonded himself to her because there was no other way."

"That doesn't make any sense. Sesshoumaru is an asshole that doesn't care about anyone but himself! Why the hell would he save her?" The hanyou couldn't believe it because it didn't sound like something his brother would do. "I just can't accept that he did something for someone else."

"Sango wouldn't lie to me." Kagome silently pleaded with him to listen to her and believe her. "Why would she still care about you if she meant to harm you? Why would she still protect us?" He snorted.

"She's still a damn taiji-ya." He looked back at her. "And she's eager to close in on Naraku."

"Speaking of Naraku, why are we going this way? Weren't we already here?" Inuyasha growled at her.

"Don't you think I've been paying attention to where we're going? Something tells me..." He looked forward, in the direction that he had been going. "He is such a bastard. Every time we get this fucking close to him, he runs. The fucking coward runs." Kagome tightened her grip on him and bit her lip.

"Inuyasha..." He shrugged her hold off.

"Come on. We've got a lot of road to travel." The miko watched him walk away. It seemed like that was all she ever saw. His back. With a soft sigh, she followed him back to where Miroku and Shippou were waiting.

Later on in the evening, Inuyasha stopped walking, his nose in the air. His expression turned feral and he began cursing so much that Shippou had to cover his ears and hide in Miroku's arms.

"What is it-" A jewel shard approaching at high speed answered her question. Kouga. "Oh..." Before she could voice another word, someone had her hands and was pulling her closer.

"Kagome! It pained me to be away from you so long but I have a reason." The wolf looked positively proud. "One of my search parties found out where Naraku's been hiding." Inuyasha grabbed Kouga by the topknot and pulled him backwards.

"Where is he?" The two then began to brawl.

"I'm not gonna tell you, fleabag!"

"Asshole!"

"Cocky bastard!"

"Stinking-"

"Cut it out, you two!" Kagome was growing furious and impatient with the both of them. Inuyasha growled at her and opened his mouth to unleash an insult. "Sit!" Both wolf and dog ate dirt. "Now, Kouga, would you mind sharing your information?" Kouga got up and grinned.

"Well, I've had search parties out ever since we got close last time. They're all over the place so, when and if Naraku moves in, I'll know exactly where he is." They had to admit that it was a smart idea. "They found him way down in the southern territories. But I guess he's been sending golems out ever since, to try and screw everyone up. Phantom castles, youkai guards, the works. Everywhere."

"That means that..."

"We've been going in the wrong direction." Miroku looked thoughtfully at Kouga. "But you are certain that the Naraku in the southern territories is not a golem?"

"Positive. In fact, a couple of my scouts went missing. Only two out of five returned to their post. The others that were around the golems reported that they were fine." Kagome bit her lip and looked toward Inuyasha.

"This turns the tables, then. Maybe we can somehow surprise him."

"Yeah right." Inuyasha snorted. "The most we could do is fight him. We can't take that bastard with surprises."

"The idiot's right. We can't." Kouga sighed. "I would suggest working together with you. After the last battles we've had, we obviously can't do it alone."

"You mean _you_ can't do it alone." The hanyou stood up and looked toward the south. Was his feeling leading him toward a golem? If the idiot wolf was right, then his senses were being put off by a mere puppet. "If you can swear that you'll be of help, then I guess you can show us where he is."

"Deal, mutt."

Kagome slept on Inuyasha's back while they traveled through the night. Miroku stayed just behind Inuyasha and Kouga was just ahead.

"We've got a lot of miles to cover but we should make it if we keep pace." The hanyou nodded at the youkai's words. He was right.

**XxX**

Sango opened her eyes and squinted. Rin and Jaken were still sleeping so she knew it was still early. However, she was no longer with Sesshoumaru. He was nowhere to be seen. She got up and fixed her kimono over her swollen stomach and then she fixed her hair, pulling it back away from her face. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. Unfamiliar youki was approaching fast. Her eyes went to Rin, relief flooding through her when she saw Kirara and Jaken protecting the sleeping girl.

"Shit..." She gathered her weapons and prepared herself as fast as she could. "Sesshoumaru, where are you?" She was hit from the side with the hilt of a blade. Falling hard, she let go of Hiraikotsu in favor of her wakizashi. Surrounding the clearing were twenty youkai.

**XxX**

Kouga skidded to a halt, the other two doing the same.

"You feel that?" They were surrounded. "It's gotta be Naraku. That-" The wolf jumped back just as a golem landed in front of them. "What the hell?" It seemed like there were at least fifteen golems and around the same amount of youkai. "That bastard! Was he-"

"He had to have known that you knew where he was!" Inuyasha yelled as he pulled out Tessaiga. Kagome woke up from all of the yelling and dropped easily from his back.

"Inuyasha, I'm still out of arrows!"

"Shit, you didn't remember to get any!?" She shook her head but took out her bow anyway. As long as she could channel her spiritual powers into the bow, then she would have a weapon.

"I'll be fine, though. Just hurry and finish this battle so that we can get at Naraku before he moves!" Kouga picked up the miko and looked back at Inuyasha.

"I should take her away from here. There's a village ahead where she can get arrows. Then I'll be back, okay?" Inuyasha was hesitant to let them go. "I'll be faster on my feet. Don't you try to argue with me."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome looked at the hanyou with wide eyes.

"Take her to safety. The houshi and I can handle this. Shippou! Go with them!" As soon as Shippou was in her arms, Kouga took off.

"Inuyasha!" She yelled back, not wanting to look at how bad the battle looked. At that point, the miko put her hands together and prayed. She prayed for her friends. She prayed for their safety. But, most of all, she prayed for the defeat of the monster that was causing all of it to happen.

**XxX**

_Hey, all! Was that another great chapter or what?_

_Even I'm at the edge of my seat...and I'm the one writing it! This is by far my favorite SessSan fic of mine. I hope you all like it just as much!_

_Thank you all for your support up to this point. You've been so wonderful to me. I have no doubt that this will probably surpass Shikon. Thank you!_

_-Angel_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango wakes up to an ambush while Sesshoumaru is nowhere to be seen. Kouga makes an appearance with good news on how he found out where Naraku was hiding out. On the way to the southern territories, the group runs into an ambush. Without Kagome's sacred arrows, will they have trouble beating the golems and the youkai?

_12_

**XxX**

Sango dodged another attack, biting her lip against the pain of the wound she recently got on her leg. All of this, of course, happened the instant that Sesshoumaru wasn't around. However, Sango wouldn't admit that she needed him to fight with her, for her. Her condition was pretty good, as far as things had gone before. The baby wasn't calling out. The taiji-ya dodged once more.

_I am severely out-numbered here. But I have lives on the line. Rin and my baby...must not come to harm._

"Wench, hurry up and defeat them!" Jaken was screeching insult after insult as he tried his best to get rid of the youkai attacking him and Rin. Kirara roared viciously, trying to stall for time. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would arrive from wherever he had gone...

"Shut up and fight! Stop being such a coward!" She swung her wakizashi, successfully gaining two kills with the same stroke. But there was hardly room for victory. For, it seemed, three or four more had taken their places.

_Damn...this is bad. Where the hell are you, Sesshoumaru? I thought you didn't want me fighting..._

**XxX**

Kouga had dropped Kagome and Shippou at the first village he found before taking off immediately, going back to help defeat the youkai that had ambushed them. The wolf hoped that he didn't go back to find the two dead. Otherwise, Kagome would never recover. He arrived in time to save the Houshi from certain death. All around them were Saimyoushou. He yelled to Inuyasha to deal with the poisonous insects while he handled the rest of the golems, the numbers of which had been severely reduced.

"I don't sense that asshole anymore!" Inuyasha shouted, throwing down the Tessaiga in a fit of rage. Their battle was over once Miroku unleashed his Kazaana. "This is fucking pointless!"

"Calm your flea-bitten ass down and be quiet for a minute!" Kouga sat down next to a tree to inspect a minor cut on his leg. "You're lettin' him get to you. Look at the mess you're in already. One of your members is missin' and-"

"She ain't missin'! She got herself pregnant and is currently with the brat's asshole of a father." The wolf hardly missed a beat.

"Who's the..."

"My dumb-ass brother."

"Oh." He paused. "She's the taiji-ya, right? How the hell did she..." Trailing off and letting the thought float around his mind, he figured that he would continue the other train of thought. "Anyway, she's not around and now you're fighting with each other. Don't think that tension ain't palpable. You could probably use it as a chew toy, mutt."

"Shut up!" The hanyou snarled. "Our problems aren't your business! Go and tend to your own pack, wolf." After a few more minutes of fighting, Kouga left them by themselves. Inuyasha sheathed the Tessaiga before telling Miroku that they had to get Kagome from the village.

Kagome sat on the porch of the inn and placed a bunch of arrows in her quiver. The village priestess was kind enough to give the young girl some of her own, for which she was given information on the miasma in return. All the miko had given away was that it was created by a hanyou named Naraku. She had also said that she was searching for him so that she could purify him.

"I have prayed to the shrine and received some important information. This Naraku has moved from his current location and is traveling quickly. In which direction, I do not know. There is only a clue as to the destination." Kagome blinked at the words.

"A clue? What was it?"

"I saw a well surrounded by a protected forest. I do not know if that is where he will travel to but I do know that it is a place of great importance." The feeling in the miko's stomach was not a good one. What if Naraku figured out her attachment to the well? "Oh, and if it is of any help, I received an image of a birth. A baby of the West." At that news, her mind jumped.

"Baby of the West? It has to be Sango's baby..." The priestess smiled slightly.

"Have I been of any assistance?"

"Yes, thank you so much."

**XxX**

Sango was alone in battle. No longer was Jaken able to fight. But it seemed that the youkai weren't concerned with those slumped against the tree and guarded by the neko. They wanted the taiji-ya. She was already badly injured, what with the cut on her leg, one on her cheek, a long gash joining the scar on her back, across her shoulders, and then one right above her stomach. Her emergency blades had been used and they were all she had to defend herself with. The situation was going from bad to worse. Still, she refused to give up until the last one was dead. Using only those blades, she fought against them, matching and countering their moves. The taiji-ya jumped back to avoid another injury and then launched forward, cutting the youkai's arm off. She brought her arm back for the finishing blow, decapitating the blood-thirsty monster. His blood splattered as he fell, splashing onto her face and body. Not like she wasn't already covered in blood. Sango turned to the last one, her mahogany eyes cold, like mirrors. He made a worthless attempt to save himself, only to have his chest cut clean through. Right after he fell, she remembered looking back to make sure Rin and the others were safe. But that was all.

"Sango-san!" Rin had woken up to a bloody battlefield, littered with organs and appendages, all bathed in crimson. As soon as she found the taiji-ya, the little girl grew hysterical. She started crying as she attempted to rouse the fallen woman. "Sango-san!" Jaken woke up to the screams before restraining the little girl.

"Rin, you mustn't move her! Wait until Sesshoumaru-sama returns!" He dragged her away from the violent scene and made her sit facing away from it. Kirara helped him drag youkai bodies into a big pile to be burned.

"What is going on?" Fear struck the toad youkai, forcing him to drop one of the youkai's arms. "Where is Sango? I smell her blood." The sharp amber eyes caught sight of the unconscious taiji-ya almost right after he began looking. "Jaken."

"There was an ambush, Sesshoumaru-sama... As you can see by all of the bodies..." Among them was a golem of Naraku's. Sesshoumaru felt anger swelling within his body, almost felt his eyes flash red. He walked over to Sango, picking her up as gently as he was able. Without a word, he left, going in the direction of Kaede's village.

Kaede bandaged Sango's wounds after having to stitch several of them. Sesshoumaru was waiting outside the house, as she had requested it. To admit the truth, the old priestess was fearing for the life of the taiji-ya. She had lost so much blood that her skin was pale. Her heart had slowed and her lips were a light shade of blue, showing that she wasn't breathing well. After doing all that she could for the beaten yet victorious taiji-ya, she went out to inform the Daiyoukai of his mate's condition.

**XxX**

Kagome reunited with Inuyasha and Miroku and informed them of what the priestess said. They went with her idea to go back to the village so that they could make sure that Naraku wasn't playing around near the well. Inuyasha was quite sure that Kagome wanted to go home.

"Let's make this trip quick. I want to try and continue where we left off with Naraku." They all nodded. Besides, they couldn't have been too far from the village. They would make it in approximately two to three days.

"What...what is going to happen next?" Kagome asked hesitantly. "I mean..."

"We'll just have to keep looking." The hanyou glared ahead, his mood depleting. Miroku winced at the statement, looking down at his hand with an unforgiving expression on his face. Kagome kept quiet about it but she had noticed the stricken look on the houshi's face. Shippou snuggled up to her and sighed in his sleep.

_Please... Please let this end soon..._

Their trek went quickly with very little said and they approached the village in the time they had predicted. Kagome said nothing of Sango and Inuyasha's forgiveness, though she continued to pray for his stubbornness to cease. The miko was growing accustomed to praying to the heavens for favors to aid in their journey for the greater good. At a certain point in their journey, Miroku halted and stared at Inuyasha's back, his face white.

"Miroku?" She honestly couldn't see what was wrong. "What is it?"

"Uh-oh..." His violet eyes went to the miko, concern and hesitation shining brightly. Inuyasha continued to storm toward the village, his movements quickly shifting to become angry. "Guess who." Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to catch up with the hanyou. Still, they couldn't just not go to the village.

"Inuyasha-"

"Don't even bother to start your shit, Kagome." His words stung, especially when he moved away from her when she attempted to place her hand on his shoulder.

"But..." The way he was acting... She didn't like it. It reminded her of the way he acted in the beginning, when he didn't trust her. Averting her gaze to the ground, she slowed her pace. Shippou didn't stir, not even once during the rest of the trip, which wasn't a surprise. The kitsune hadn't been sleeping well.

An hour later, they reached the village as well as Kaede's hut. What they found wasn't what they expected.

"What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?" Sesshoumaru was sitting outside, his eyes closed. He appeared to be waiting for something. Kagome bent down and gasped softly at what she saw. The Daiyoukai's eyes were closed and his breathing was even. Dark circles beneath his eyes marred his otherwise perfect visage.

"He's asleep." Inuyasha's curiosity piqued at the statement. Why would Sesshoumaru, of all youkai, sleep in a village of humans? Right out in the open, nonetheless. Miroku entered the hut at that point. Whatever it was that had the Daiyoukai in such a condition, he could bet that it involved Sango.

"Kaede-san?" The old miko exited a room and looked up at him. A frown dampened her aging face at the mere sight of him. "Is something wrong?" The others entered then and Inuyasha stiffened. She could tell by the expression on the hanyou's face that he was contemplating on leaving.

"Where is Sesshoumaru?" Her voice was rough. After all, she had been up all night. "I need to speak with him."

"He's outside." Kagome set Shippou down in hopes that he would remain asleep. However, luck was not on her side. "I'll get him, if you want me to."

"Please." She walked outside and bent down next to the dangerous youkai. What was going on? Where was Sango?

"Sesshoumaru... Kaede-san wishes to speak with you." The younger miko set her hand on his shoulder, instantly bringing him out of his slumber. "She wants a word with you." Wordlessly, he stood and entered the small house.

"What is it?" Inuyasha noticed the haggard appearance of his elder sibling. He had never seen his brother look like that.

"Come and see." Of course, they all followed the two into the closed off room. Sango rested on the bed, bandages covering most of her body. Her chest was rising and falling unevenly. They could all hear how ragged her breathing was. "She has more or less recovered since last night."

"What happened last night?" Miroku asked, almost hesitantly.

"We almost lost her and the child." Kaede's voice lowered. She looked tired, drained to the last of her energy. "She will need to rest for some time before she is able to travel." Kagome frowned.

"Well, I can go home and get some medication. I have to go back anyway; I forgot about some tests I have to take. Not to mention that we're out of ramen." She stated, pulling off her backpack and digging through it. There really was next to nothing left.

"Why do you look like you've been dragged through all seven levels of Hell?" Inuyasha suddenly asked, his amber gaze landing on his elder brother. The Daiyoukai gave the hanyou a dirty look.

"I was up all night with the taiji-ya. My youki was needed to save the child." Sesshoumaru looked back at Sango, his eyes searching. "Old woman, I cannot stay much longer. As much as I am needed, I simply must not linger." Kaede sighed.

"At least stay until she wakes. I have the feeling that she will wish to see you." He considered it for a brief moment before nodding.

"Very well."

**XxX**

Kagome had gone home so Inuyasha had nothing to do. He was in a pissed off mood, considering the circumstances. Miroku had found out what happened to Sango, which meant that Inuyasha also heard it.

_**"Well, she can't just go off on her own now. She's way too far along to be alone." Sesshoumaru was adamant about leaving. "Then she'll have to stay with us. We really don't have a choice anymore."**_

_**"No way in Hell-"**_

_**"Inuyasha! This isn't your decision to make anymore! It's either she goes with us or else she'll die!" Kagome frowned, her eyes narrowed and her voice hard. She wasn't backing down. The hanyou had growled and stormed away.**_

It had been that way ever since he had cast Sango out of the group. He didn't understand what it was that they had tried telling him so many times. It was that Sango hadn't had a choice when Sesshoumaru put his mark on her.

"No choice. What a fucking folly." Though, he hadn't heard of women dying while they were pregnant with a hanyou child...

"M'lord!" Myouga hopped onto his face and nearly started bawling his eyes out. "I have missed you!" The flea youkai had been out safely searching for clues to help his lord Inuyasha defeat Naraku. "I have good news! But, before I tell you-" He was flattened in an instant, landing in the hanyou's palm.

"Just get to the point." The ignorant tone of his lord made the vassal sigh in frustration. How childish Inuyasha was acting. He had already heard about what had happened in his absence. It seemed that Sesshoumaru was the one following in Inu no Taisho's footsteps.

"I have found a clue to Naraku's pattern in disappearances. Inuyasha-sama, I have found that his time of weakness is the new moon, just as yours is." The hanyou's eyes widened.

"How did you find that out?" The flea smirked and shook his head.

"A good spy never reveals his secrets!" With that, he relaxed on Inuyasha's hand. "You looked deep in thought when I arrived. Is something bothering you?" His master was silent for a moment. Of course, Inuyasha never really confided in the flea so Myouga never expected much.

"Can a human woman die from carrying a hanyou child?" Myouga nearly choked on thin air at the question. He thought for a moment, remembering.

"Well, I remember asking your father the very same question when he impregnated your mother, Izayoi. He told me that it depended on the situation. If the child is born into a woman without a bond being formed, then it is possible. Especially if the youkai is a Daiyoukai." He cleared his throat. "Actually, Sango lasted longer than any other woman. Without a bond, she could have died much sooner and she would be dead right now."

"So..." Inuyasha frowned. Then it was true. Sesshoumaru marked her because she was going to die. That had been what Miroku and Kagome had tried to tell him. Still, she had accepted his brother. Otherwise, she would've died even after the bond. "Why did I never know? Did my mother go through something similar?"

"Actually, no. Inu no Taisho marked Izayoi when they joined as one, a year or so before you were born." Myouga was about to disclose information that was kept secret for a long time. "Izayoi was your father's only mate. Sesshoumaru was the one that was born without a bond. But that did not mean that he loved your elder brother any less."

"Then...my brother isn't the..." With a sigh, the old flea shook his head.

"No, your brother was conceived to be an heir. There were so many wars that it was unwise to have no heir to fall back on. You were born many years later out of love." He lowered his eyes. "Your father refused to mate with Sesshoumaru's mother because he had no feelings for her." The thought of what Sango must have gone through with her baby because she wasn't bonded to Sesshoumaru made Inuyasha feel sort of like a jerk. There was never a case where a hanyou was born from a Daiyoukai without a bond. It was pure stupidity. With the exception of Sesshoumaru, of course. His started out as arrogance then went to stupidity then went to something different.

"Still...she chose him." Inuyasha found his anger being misplaced. He found his reasons for being angry at Sango dissolving and falling away, like grains of sand through his fingers.

**XxX**

Sesshoumaru stood over the bed, his amber eyes gazing at the moving form of the taiji-ya. It appeared as though she was fighting off nightmares.

"Be still, Sango." His gaze went to her swollen stomach. Soon, she would give birth to his first child. He would be a father, chained down to responsibility. But so would she. "Fight no longer." His voice was quiet as he gently pressed his fingers to her forehead. Sango eased a little but did not cease to struggle. "Wake soon, so that I may depart." With that, he left the room, intending on seeking out his younger brother.

The Daiyoukai had no trouble finding the hanyou. He was in the Go-Shinboku tree in his forest.

"What the fuck do you want?" The voice was heavy, loaded down with plenty of hatred. "I take it that you want something or else you wouldn't have come near me."

"The young miko in your group... I heard her say that you and your little pack would watch over the taiji-ya in my absence." Inuyasha felt a snarl touch his lips but he bit it back. "I will forgive your transgressions if she does not come to harm."

"What transgressions? Have you gone insane?" The hanyou jumped down, amber glaring into amber. "I banished your mate from my _pack_. There isn't anything I can do for you." Sesshoumaru stood there calmly for a moment before punching his brother right in the face.

"Then you would let your own blood be killed? You are so angry that I marked her out of instinct to save her life that you would let both her and her child die?" The words were scorching and burned worse than any youkai's flames. However, Inuyasha stood firm.

"She's the one that said that she could do it on her own." Once again, Sesshoumaru punched him across the face, this time sending him flying into his beloved tree. The hanyou wiped the blood from his face. "I ain't the forgiving type."

"You are still so immature. No betrayal was made. She did not agree to be with me to betray you. This has nothing to do with you." The Daiyoukai's amber eyes narrowed. "If you do not agree to protect her in my stead, then I will declare you useless and kill you where you stand." Minutes of silence and tension passed before Inuyasha even stood up. He clenched his fists, his claws biting into his skin until they bled.

"Fine! I'll tolerate the fucking bitch. But once the brat is born, it's up to you." The brothers had reached their first agreement.

**XxX**

Sango drew in a sharp breath and cried out, her eyes snapping open. She heaved and choked, her scared eyes searching the dark room for any sign of an enemy.

"Be still." The deep voice soothed her and made her drowsy. "You have nothing to fear now. Your fight is over for the time being."

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Her mahogany eyes darted all over in search of him. She jumped when she felt a light touch on her face.

"Settle yourself or you will upset the child." The taiji-ya then hugged her swollen stomach.

"M-My child." His eyes widened when she grabbed his hand and pulled, successfully getting him to sit beside her. She then proceeded to crawl in his lap. "Did I die?"

"Almost." He answered quietly. The Daiyoukai would be damned if he told her what it had done to him. "You will recover."

"Are you going to leave?" Her tone of voice told him that she already knew the answer.

"Not until you fall asleep." She sighed against his neck, her warm breath nearly sending chills through his body. "Do you feel ill?" He felt her shake her head. Her arms wrapped around him, tightening until she felt his arms enclose her in an embrace.

"What am I going to do?" He was silent.

"My brother is taking you in once again. Until you have the child, he said." She said nothing after that, falling asleep within an hour of being in his arms. Sesshoumaru gently set her back down, careful not to wake her before departing under the cover of darkness.

**XxX**

_It took me a bit to write this chapter and I'm not sure but I think I rushed their journey to the village. However, not much goes on when they're stuck in their own thoughts and tired and weary from battle. So, I shouldn't consider it rushed._

_Anyway, just copy and paste the usual stuff I put here. Please review! I look forward to your opinions!_

_-Angel_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango is stuck with Inuyasha once more, being forced to do so by her injuries. Sesshoumaru is once more intent on going off on his own. Inuyasha finds out Sango's true situation. What will become of them?

_13_

**XxX**

_It seemed odd at first, to be around him..._

"Stupid bitch! Stop throwing up within hearing range!" Sango didn't know why she was heaving. She was bonded to Sesshoumaru... Why the sickness?

"It isn't my fault!" The taiji-ya considered how far along she actually was. Over five...she was guessing, of course. With everything that had happened, she wasn't worried about keeping track.

_My stomach...isn't as big as I thought it would be... I wonder...is it going to be a boy or a girl?_

"Ugh! You're so stupid! How in the Hell do you wind up like this, even bonded to that asshole? You're so weak!" She glared at him, opening her mouth to retaliate when she was forced to turn and run, hoping that she wouldn't throw up in plain sight.

"Bastard! Why do you complain to me? Why don't you just go out of hearing range?" He was silent as he turned away, cringing whenever he heard her heave.

_He's been fighting with me, like he used to. He's been calling me weak, pushing me to be stronger about this. Why the sudden change?_

Inuyasha had always been there for Sango before she had been marked. Had he somehow found forgiveness for her? Had he accepted the fact that she didn't have a choice?

"Are you done yet?" She wiped her mouth as she stood, feeling a bit wobbly as she walked over to him. "How much can you hold inside that stomach of yours?" He let out an exasperated expression after his question. She hugged her belly, glaring at him.

"Don't be so rude!" The hanyou's ears went back when he heard her yell at him. She was right next to him, after all. He snarled at her before walking away, dragging her by the arm. "Let me go!"

"Are they at it again?" Miroku asked quietly, looking over at Kaede. "I hope Kagome-san comes back soon so that she can be the one to deal with them for once."

"I agree." They continued sipping tea, listening to Inuyasha blather on about her recent bouts of nausea. "I feel bad for Sango."

"She seems to be giving it right back..." The houshi sighed. He really wanted the chance to talk to her alone. He wanted to regain what had been damaged between them. He really wanted her to leave Sesshoumaru so that he could be with her. Sango pushed aside the door hanging in a huff, her eyes narrowed.

"I'd like to know what the hell you plan on doing with me when you're traveling, half-wit! If you couldn't tell...I'm pregnant!" They heard Inuyasha cursing at her until he walked out of their hearing range.

"You two have been going at it ever since you woke up." Kaede stood. "Perhaps you should calm down on angering him..."

"I'm not doing anything to anger him! He's the one pissing me off." The taiji-ya walked into her room and sat down, wanting only time for herself.

Miroku joined her later, when Kaede left to do her duties around the village. The houshi found her curled up, her eyes staring into the dimming sunlight that was shining through the window.

"Sango-san?" He knelt down beside her. "I was hoping for a word with you." The taiji-ya hardly lifted her head.

"I know what it is that you want to talk about." He brightened a bit. "I am sorry but I have a duty to Sesshoumaru. I am his mate now and I cannot escape that. He will not take another woman so it is my duty to be loyal to him."

"Sango-"

"Please, Houshi-sama, do not make this any harder." Miroku stood up, watching Sango to see if she even looked at him. All she did was close her eyes as she heard him leave the room. When he left, he felt crushed enough to want to go back and try again. However, he wasn't even prepared for a second let down. He walked outside and decided that he had to be a houshi once again, rightfully. He had to let go of his love for Sango or else be weighted down with the Hellfire of Sesshoumaru's wrath. So, the houshi decided to meditate.

**XxX**

Inuyasha went back to gather Kagome, only to receive reprimands, as though she was actually waiting for him to screw things up.

"That stupid bitch isn't going to slow our progress, Kagome!" The miko slapped her hand over his mouth and glared at him.

"No swearing in this house, understand? That's all I need is to hear about Souta mouthing off like you." Kagome sat back when she was sure that the hanyou would keep his volume down. "We can't expect to travel with Sango. She's too far along to be put in that kind of danger. Not to mention that the way you'd be pushing us around would only stress her out." She bit her lip. "We can't just leave her unprotected, either. I'm sure Naraku would like to piss Sesshoumaru off just a little more."

"That's stupid. We have to go and find him before he gets stronger!" Once again, the young miko was forced to glare at her stubborn and dim-witted friend. "I don't care what the hell happens to her!"

"Inuyasha!" She felt positively furious at him for his lack of a conscience. "Please, just try to understand what she's going through. It isn't easy to carry around a baby and hope to please a forever inconsiderate hanyou! Sango's been trying to get your forgiveness ever since she got pregnant. But you're too stubborn and stupid to realize that! Can't you see how much you're tearing all of us apart?"

"All of you? Why can't all of you understand how important it is that Naraku gets defeated?" His face was contorted into a look of stubborn anger. "I just want his threat to end and to avenge Kikyou's death." Kagome hid her face in her bangs, biting her tongue to keep from yelling at him.

"I can understand that. But...Sango needs support more than anything. I'm sure that the baby will be born soon. Just give us some time to come up with something that we're all happy with, okay?" To be the peace-keeper was a hard job. One that Kagome wished was not her own. Inuyasha was silent for a moment before nodding and standing up.

"Fine. Take some time to think about a plan. But make sure you're back in a couple of days." The miko's eyes went wide and she stood, hoping to catch him before he left through the window. He watched her for only a moment before climbing onto the balcony. She followed him out, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for understanding, Inuyasha." She smiled at him for the first time in a long while. He merely shrugged off her hand and nodded before jumping down to the ground and disappearing into the well-house.

_Inuyasha..._

**XxX**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Shippou sat next to the well and mourned the departure of Kagome. He hated it when she went back to her time. Inuyasha was always mean to someone while she was absent and he was usually the one to be on that side of the hanyou. However, this time it was Sango. The little kitsune pounded on the well, furious at Inuyasha for his childish behavior. "I'm more grown up than he is! Stupid Inuyasha!"

"Who you callin' stupid, _runt_?" Inuyasha himself emerged from the well, his eyes narrowed in an angry glare. Shippou wasted no time in taking off. "Get back here, you little punk!"

Sango pushed the remaining dirt into its place before brushing her hands together. She looked over at Kaede with a small smile.

"Planting and praying does take my mind off of my problems." The taiji-ya got to her feet slowly before resting one of her dirty hands on her swollen belly. "I haven't felt this at ease in a while. Thank you, Kaede-san."

"Everyone needs peace once in a while. You deserve such." Peace, however, was not to be a companion in their little group. Shippou bolted past, hiding in Sango's hair. Inuyasha wasn't too far behind. The taiji-ya rolled her eyes.

"I should've never gotten pregnant. I have way too many children on my hands as it is." She grabbed Inuyasha's hair when he got too close to where the kitsune was hiding. "Cut it out, both of you. What is this all about?"

"None of your business!" The hanyou huffed, slapping Sango's hand away from his hair.

"He's just being childish and stupid!" Shippou piped up, revealing himself by stepping out onto the taiji-ya's shoulders. Inuyasha snarled, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he lunged at the little pest.

"Inuyasha, don't! You could hurt the-" Sango fell backwards and rolled, hitting several rocks which caused painful bruises. The hanyou's face looked a little pale as he pulled her up by her arms. He didn't even care to notice Shippou, who had evaded the entire situation.

"Shit!" He settled his hands on her stomach and forced youki into his hands. The child reacted strongly to him and began to kick a little. The shock that registered on the hanyou's face made Sango smile. "Feh! The brat's fine."

"Just try to be a little more careful, okay? Thank you for worrying, though, Inuyasha." He growled and turned away, red tinting his face. There was no point in denying that he didn't get worried; she'd seen it already.

"I wasn't worried." Still, it was in his nature to deny anything to do with feelings, except for hatred and such. The taiji-ya merely laughed and brushed herself off.

"I am going to go and see what there is that we can eat later. Come on, Kirara." The neko opened her eyes and got up, mewing as she followed her mistress. She had been very tired ever since her mistress had suffered that ambush. Kaede watched Inuyasha with new-found curiosity. Had the hanyou actually worried over the taiji-ya and the child? Was he actually concerned for the baby's health?

_No matter what he may say, he has just proven that he cares about both the mother and the child. The baby is his blood family, after all. Perhaps he will work toward an apology, in the form of accepting her back as his friend..._

The old miko smiled before walking down the steps, following the taiji-ya's path.

**XxX**

Inuyasha sat beneath his tree, contemplating his feelings toward the child resting within Sango's womb. He had tried not to care about it. He didn't want to care about it, since it was Sesshoumaru's child. Yet...it was also Sango's child, which meant that he was bound to it. He had to protect it.

_Why did I react that way when she fell?_

He would no doubt see himself in the child. It would be a hanyou, just like him. Inuyasha felt sorry for the brat, though. Even with a mother like Sango and a hanyou for an uncle, he still had an asshole for a father and a world that wouldn't likely accept him.

"Poor kid." He whispered, leaning back and closing his eyes. If only he could make the world understand... Then, without warning, Miroku entered the clearing, watching his feet as he trudged along. "Houshi, what the hell is your problem?"

"Sango." Inuyasha raised a brow when the houshi dropped down next to him. "I love her, Inuyasha... Even though I still chase kimono and make lecherous remarks to other women, I only love her." Stunned silence echoed throughout the clearing.

"Did you tell her?"

"I did." The misery in his friend's violet eyes told him the answer. "She told me that she had a duty to remain loyal to Sesshoumaru, since he was bonded with her. She said that he would be with no other woman so...she had to do the same."

"Houshi, I could've told you that. Youkai mate for love, life, and loyalty. Even though they're devoid of love, it doesn't excuse them from following the rules of bonding." Inuyasha snorted. "Sesshoumaru was never looking for women. If anything, he bedded females only when the urge got too strong. Then he disposed of them. Now he don't need to go through the trouble anymore." Miroku made a desperate noise as he slumped down even more.

"But...why'd it have to be her?"

**XxX**

Kagome packed up her medical supplies and the ton of ramen that she had bought for Inuyasha. She wouldn't go back until the morning but it was best to pack ahead.

"Kagome, dear, are you almost done?" Her mother called from downstairs. "Dinner is ready!" She smiled as she went over the checklist in her mind. All she had left was to pack her things she had gotten for Sango's baby.

"I'll be down in a second!" Her eyes went to the two large bags she had finished. All she had left to do that night was her homework so that she could give it to her brother to take to school for her in the morning. Souta stood in her doorway with a curious look on his face.

"Which friend of yours is havin' a baby?" He noticed the baby clothes when his mother and Kagome had gone shopping.

"Sango." She answered, smiling at him. "It'll be like Inuyasha."

"Really? Awesome! Who is the dad?" He hoped it wouldn't be Inuyasha's baby. The little boy still had high hopes that the hanyou would be his older brother.

"Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru." The siblings began to walk downstairs for dinner. Souta continued to question her and she tried her best to answer him.

**XxX**

Sango waited by the well. She had heard from Inuyasha that Kagome would return soon. Her eyes were on the project she held in her hands. It was a baby blanket for the upcoming event of her child's birth. Her eyes began to water as she thought about her family. Her only wish was that Kohaku and her village be revived so that she could share her life with them once again.

"Sango?" Inuyasha asked quietly, approaching the well from the direction of his tree. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Kagome. I thought I would pass the time by making a baby blanket." The hanyou stared at the fabrics she had surrounded herself with. He recalled a memory from when he was with his mother but he shook it away before it affected him. "What do you think of it so far?"

"Eh, it's fine." He took a seat next to her, watching as she smiled, accepting the attempt at a compliment. "Why is there so much fabric? You shouldn't need this much..."

"I was going to make another one. We will be traveling a lot and one might get dirty." She said quietly, setting down her half-finished project. "It won't be long now, Inuyasha. But...if you wish to seek out Naraku, I will accompany you. You cannot wait until he is too strong and the next new moon should be in a couple of weeks, enough time to smoke him out."

"Are you serious? Kagome and the old woman are damned near impossible. They won't let you go."

"I could always ride on Kirara when travel gets rough. Besides, I'm not weak. I was planning on searching longer, at least until the baby arrives." He smirked at her words. She was right, she wasn't weak. Kirara lifted her head from the middle of the fabric pile. She watched Inuyasha with her bright ruby eyes.

"Hm. Well, I'll let you tell them." The taiji-ya smiled and nodded. She then continued on with her work until Inuyasha moved from her side. "Stupid! You're late!"

"Shut up, you arrogant idiot! I was running late this morning." Kagome emerged from the well with her usual yellow bag strapped to her back. Inuyasha was carrying two separate bags.

"What's with all the shit?" Kagome made a face at his choice of words before noticing that Sango was sitting at the well. The miko squealed and hugged her friend in joy.

"I brought the baby some clothes. I figured that we should have them just in case you have it a little early." Sango hugged her again, thanking her for her kind gesture. "Well, let's get to the village so that we can eat some lunch and I can show you the clothes."

**XxX**

A couple of days passed in the village before Sango managed to convince Kagome that she would be fine with traveling. Kirara helped her through the first day, which was surprisingly calm and quiet. The taiji-ya kept her gaze from landing on the houshi. She was pissed off that she had to turn him away in such an emotionless way. It hurt her to even glance in his direction.

"We're gonna stop here tonight." Inuyasha looked back with a frown on his face. "Tomorrow, we're going until dark, no questions asked." The sun was almost completely gone from the sky, leaving it a dim red. Sango got off of Kirara when the neko landed, her stomach churning. Whatever had caused it, she didn't know. Sesshoumaru's presence had been a constant when she was traveling with him. Since it wasn't so any longer, the youki her child was sensing from him was reliant on what was spent in their bonding. She was given the responsibility to set up camp.

"What should we have to eat?" Before anyone could even open their mouths, Inuyasha settled his opinion right on Kagome's lap.

"I want ramen. You haven't given me ramen for weeks!" No one wanted the hanyou to have a fit so they didn't argue. Kagome made the ramen and then they all settled in. Sango rested beneath a tree and was surprised when Inuyasha jumped onto a branch over her head. However, she said nothing as she pulled her blanket close and bid her little neko good night. Everyone else followed the example and soon, they were all asleep.

"You're so damn lazy!" Inuyasha growled, stalking ahead of the ground. "Sango's fucking pregnant and she doesn't even complain as much as you!" Kagome bit back the 's' word and gave him a very chilling glare.

"Shut up! All I asked is that we stop for five minutes so that I can rest my legs. I don't know why they're so sore; they just are!" That shut the hanyou up but it didn't stop him from sulking. "We have been going all day."

"It isn't even almost night fall yet!" Sango let out a small sigh as she sat down. The taiji-ya didn't want Kirara carrying her all day so she had walked. However, she was seriously considering getting back on her neko. Strangely enough, Shippou and Inuyasha were silent to each other for the entire trip so far. They hadn't fought since Sango had broken them up when Kagome was still in her time. After Kagome recovered somewhat, they began their journey again. Sango was helped along by Kirara again.

**XxX**

"Inuyasha, stop yelling at Sango! It isn't her fault that's she's sick!" The taiji-ya had gotten a bad case of nausea and she was beginning to get really scared. Kagome rubbed her back and held her hair as she heaved. "We should try to find Sesshoumaru if this keeps up. I doubt if this is good on the baby."

"We ain't findin' that asshole! I don't want to see his ugly fucking face." Inuyasha was having a temper tantrum, or so that was what Kagome thought. Miroku surprised them by agreeing with Kagome.

"If she continues getting ill, then it will be no good on the child. We have to find a way to stop her sickness." He watched as Sango hugged her stomach, her face scrunched into a painful expression. "Sango? You're not in labor, are you?"

"Isn't it a bit early?" Kagome asked quietly, her eyes widening. "Inuyasha, go find him!"

"But-" Inuyasha knew that if Sango was in labor then he needed to get his brother.

"No, no..." Sango whispered, her eyes going to the hanyou. "The baby is just...kicking an awful lot. I don't know...if something might be wrong."

"I'd best get him. I don't want something to happen and then get blamed. Stay here and do not let anything happen." Miroku looked at Kagome as Inuyasha left.

"Sango, are you sure that everything is fine?" Miroku pressed, his eyes wide and filled with worry.

"I know I'm not going into labor... It's just that...the baby is upset." She remembered that Sesshoumaru had said that she would need him through the pregnancy. She remembered what he had said about her body and why the baby was reacting the way it had.

_Could it be that even though we are bonded, I still need him around me in order to get through this without anything going wrong?_

"Sesshoumaru must be our best bet."

Sesshoumaru stopped walking, causing Rin to bump into his legs and fall backwards. The little girl looked up at him with wide, confused eyes.

"What is wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked quietly. The Daiyoukai turned his head to the left and noticed Inuyasha skidding to a stop.

"You weren't too far away." Both brothers were locked in a stare down. Inuyasha got fed up and walked closer. "Something's wrong, Sesshoumaru. You should come and see her."

"Wrong? What do you mean?" The hanyou glared at him.

"Your brat's acting up. Kicking the sh..." He froze, noticing Rin sitting by his older brother's feet. "Sango can't take much more of that whelp of yours kicking her and fussing. My youki won't help any since you two bonded." Jaken looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes, his jaw slack. "They were almost afraid that she was going into labor." The Daiyoukai paused, his eyes narrowing as a frown graced his face.

"Where is she?"

"Follow me." Rin and Jaken got on Ah-Uhn and followed in the sky as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha raced toward where Sango was. Jaken tried to swallow the information he had just received. Sesshoumaru had bonded with that human woman. There was no wonder why his master was so protective of that wench. They made it within ten minutes, Sesshoumaru approaching his mate with a stoic, emotionless face.

"Sesshoumaru..." Sango was sweating, her face a bit flushed from trying to ease the tantrum of the child herself. "The baby..." He walked over and knelt down beside her, forcing everyone to move away with a single look.

"It is as I said before. My youki isn't as strong as it was." He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck, placing his lips on his mark. Sango gasped, her eyes widening as she felt the youki burning through her body. Her blood felt like it was on fire and her senses were going crazy. She closed her eyes and winced as her sickness was literally incinerated from her body. "So that's what it was. You were ill." She stared at up him after he lifted his head, her vision blurring as she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head beneath his chin.

"Thank you." She whispered softly. The taiji-ya smiled, feeling better almost instantly after her baby stopped fussing. After a moment, Sesshoumaru began to shift her so that he could set her back down but stopped when she began protesting. "Stay with me for the night...please..." The Daiyoukai didn't look happy at the request but...he was wondering what she was doing traveling again. Perhaps if he stayed the night, he would get answers.

"Fine."

**XxX**

_So, we have chapter 13 now. Sango's close to the end but I did make it a point that she wasn't counting months. Who would after all that happened, right? Anyway, just keep all of that in mind for the next chapter._

_And, I believe chapter 14 will be so exciting that I can't even wait to start on it! So, the sooner I do, the sooner it'll be out. Let me just say that it will sate every kind of craving!_

_Leave me a review and let me know what you think. TY!_

_-Angel_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango and Inuyasha manage to struggle back to the point they were at in the beginning, when she told him about her pregnancy. But, since they need to get closer to Naraku, will they be able to convince Sesshoumaru to let her continue traveling?

_14_

**XxX**

Sango and Kagome cooked dinner that night and passed it around to everyone except Sesshoumaru. He wouldn't eat human food. Jaken was very suspicious about the entire ordeal. His Lord hated humans and wanted the Tessaiga. The youkai glowered at the taiji-ya all night, watching as she ate and as she did her nightly chores, as well as when she turned in to go to sleep.

_Hm? It seems as though the houshi has been staring at her, as well. Only...he watches her in longing. I wonder..._

Jaken was never one to want to harm his Sesshoumaru-sama but he wanted the human woman out of the way. If she didn't die in childbirth... No, that would leave a hanyou child in his Master's wake.

_Perhaps if she returns feelings for that houshi and she betrays m'lord for the human..._

As far as he was concerned, this was the perfect plan. All that left was getting the houshi to place his advances on her. So he waited until the dead of night to hatch his plan. If all went right, then the human would be out the picture. Jaken hid in the bushes when everyone was asleep and chucked rocks at the slumbering houshi. Miroku got up, pissed off and went to find the source of the rocks. Jaken led him far from the camp so that no one would hear them.

"Who are you? Why are you throwing stones at me?" The youkai decided to remain hidden. "Come out or else you'll be extremely sorry." The houshi was gripping his beads, ready to remove them and suck everything into his void.

"That taiji-ya, you wish to be with her, correct?" There was a moment of silence. Silence so strong that nothing moved and nothing made a sound.

"I don't even know who you are. Why should I answer you?" Jaken didn't answer for a long moment.

"Because you know that I am right. You desire her beyond anything else in this world, do you not?" The only thing wrong with the toad's theory was that he didn't know how much of a womanizer the houshi was. However, when there was no one around, Sango was all that he craved.

"She is loyal to Sesshoumaru. Sango would never betray anyone..." He left the sentence unfinished, unable to even mutter the words that would complete it.

**"Sango would never betray anyone...not even to be with me."**

Jaken cursed his luck that the taiji-ya had talked with Miroku. But it would have to be the youkai's job to convince him otherwise.

"How do you know that? Perhaps if you told her what you really wanted..." The houshi frowned bitterly before turning around.

"I'm through listening to you. Leave me and my friends alone." With that, he left and returned to camp several minutes later.

**XxX**

Inuyasha fell out of his tree, startled. He looked around wildly, seeing Sango sitting up, rocking back and forth, holding her stomach as she cried out in pain. The hanyou rushed over without thinking and pulled her to him. All he knew was that he had to quiet her down.

"I-Inuyasha..." Sango looked up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "T-The baby..." Sesshoumaru was awake, pacing back and forth.

"We have to get her back to that village." The Daiyoukai looked almost funny to his little brother as he furrowed his brow and gazed at the taiji-ya through the corner of his eye. "I am guessing that the sickness might have induced...labor." Inuyasha then spent a couple minutes trying to get everyone awake.

"Has your water broken yet, Sango?" Kagome asked soothingly, holding her best friend close to her as she ran her fingers through her hair. "If it hasn't, we still have time to get her to the village." Miroku looked surprisingly pissed off as he gathered his Shakujo and folded his bedding to place it in Kagome's pack. Kirara was resting beside her mistress, her head on Sango's legs, gazing up in concern and knowing.

The baby was coming soon...

Everyone gathered together and arranged travel plans. Ah-Un would carry Rin and Jaken. Kirara would carry Miroku and Shippou. Sesshoumaru would carry Sango and Inuyasha would carry Kagome.

"Let's get out of here...fast. Sesshoumaru, if we fall behind, just keep going. We'll meet you there. She needs to get there no matter what." The taiji-ya clutched at the Daiyoukai, sweat beading on her brow. Her eyes stared into pain and fear. Would the child take her life when it was born? As stated, Inuyasha and the others did fall behind. Sesshoumaru continued on.

"S-Sesshoumaru..." She clung to him, burying her face in his neck to keep herself protected from the wind.

"We are almost there." He pushed himself to get there quickly and arrived in front of Kaede's where a couple of women and men were gathered outside. Sliding to a stop, he gave the group a glare that was meant to move them out of the way.

"Kaede...san." Sango whispered the old miko's name. So, the Daiyoukai stood up fully, staring all of the humans in the face.

"Old woman!" His voice was enough to bring Kaede outside as fast as she could.

"Sango!" Seeing the taiji-ya in her condition, the miko hurriedly ushered him inside. "Is she going into labor?"

"I am almost certain. She got sick last night." He paused. "I had to give her quite a bit of youki." No holding anything back. Or else Sango could die during the birth of the child.

"That must have triggered it." She got everything set up with the help of some of those that had been outside of the place.

"Did you wish for me to help you, Kaede-san?"

"No, I will be fine. I have more help on the way." The elderly miko looked at Sesshoumaru when everyone left. "There is a blanket and a mat folded in the other room. We will need to set her on top of it." The Daiyoukai's job was to lift the pregnant taiji-ya and then set her on the mat when Kaede was done setting it up. "Now, if you would undress her and drape her kimono over her body." Kaede wasn't playing around. She was getting right to business. Especially since the baby was coming sooner than they thought.

"They should be here soon." His words weren't meant for comfort, merely to state fact. He lifted Sango with one arm as he pulled the kimono from under her with the other. Then he cut her bindings and undergarments away before draping the kimono over her body. She stared up at him with eyes showing actual fear. He leaned down, his lips close to her ear. "You will be fine."

Inuyasha and the others arrived around five to ten minutes later. Miroku's job was to take the children and Jaken away from the hut.

"Kagome, you will help me deliver. Inuyasha, you will do whatever we need you to do." Until they needed him, he would be on Sango's left while Sesshoumaru was on her right. Kagome set to boiling water and getting a blanket ready to wrap the baby in. Sango bit her lip and moved as though she were uncomfortable. Painful contractions seized her for a brief few minutes, each time growing closer and closer together. Until, suddenly, she made a face and Kaede lifted the blanket to see wetness.

"Her water broke!" The young miko gazed in concern at her friend. Sango took deep breaths and tried her hardest to face the birth without fear of death.

Inuyasha looked pale as Sango squeezed his hand until it turned purple. Sesshoumaru looked less uncomfortable but more anxious. Kagome was the only one offering encouragement. Kaede merely informed Sango about her position and where the baby was. It seemed to drag on forever for Sango. The crowning gave her some relief within her mind that it was progressing. Soon, the worst was over and all she had to do was push the rest of the baby out. During some portions of the pregnancy, the taiji-ya recalled screaming and becoming so angry that she could've killed Sesshoumaru a million times over for what he did to her. Really, it was all his fault and his presence only served to piss her off enough to not focus on pain but on how she was going to kill him when the baby was born.

Finally, the birth was done and Kagome had the baby. Kaede had finished off the details of the whole ordeal and then had allowed the young miko to clean the baby up before giving it to the mother for a brief period of time.

"Sango, it's a baby boy. Any idea on what you want to name it?" Sango held the baby, gazing at him before smiling. Her smile nearly made Kagome cry. It was such a pure, beautiful smile. The taiji-ya had never smiled that way.

"My baby..." She looked up, her eyes going to Inuyasha. Then they returned to her baby. It was amazing, really. How much alike they looked. Her baby had a cute little tuft of silver hair, perfectly placed between tiny silver dog ears. The eyes were the same as Sesshoumaru's. Amber of the purest quality. The only feature the baby seemed to take from his mother was a tiny birthmark on the upper part of the back of his neck. Soon, it would be hidden by hair. The little baby snuggled close to his mother, his tiny hands clasping the covering kimono. "Sesshue..." Sesshoumaru looked a bit surprised that she would pick a name so close to his. Sango looked so tired that the Daiyoukai actually took the baby gently from her arms.

"You should get some rest. Your body is very fatigued. If you strain yourself, you could become sick." She smiled tiredly as she relaxed, resting her head on the pillow that had been propping her up.

**XxX**

"Sango named it after Sesshoumaru?" Miroku asked quietly, his eyes regarding Inuyasha with a frosty stare.

"Close enough. The boy's name is Sesshue." The hanyou looked proud and the houshi didn't know what to think of that. "Kagome's gone to get clothes for him, huh?"

"Yes, she has. She said she will return in a little while." Rin was excited, jumping up and down and asking if she could see the baby. Jaken sat against a tree with a sour expression on his face. "How is she?"

"Sleeping right now. She'll probably be out for a while." Miroku hated to think that Sesshoumaru was the father of Sango's baby. He wished that he wasn't cursed to have such a bad habit.

_I probably could have stopped any time I wanted to. But... I was too concentrated on other women that I didn't realize that the one that I loved was drifting away from me._

"Sesshoumaru is actually bearing down now. I think they'll be fine." Myouga said from Inuyasha's shoulder. Neither of them had noticed the flea, which was strange. Usually he was caught sucking blood before anything else. "Today is an important day for all of us. Sesshue is now the heir to the West."

"Will they really accept a hanyou?" Inuyasha asked quietly. "I mean, even if they're all too scared to say anything out loud, will they still accept him?" It was silent for a moment or so before the flea sat down with a heavy sigh.

"There is no way of knowing until the boy grows up and inherits the lands of his fathers." They remained silent after that, each in their own thoughts.

Sesshoumaru was pissed off at the schedule he had placed on himself. Things were different. He had a son and he wouldn't be bad-mouthed by the humans for abandoning Sango with his only child. Still...he had broken his own rule by getting the little human pregnant. He had vowed not to bring a hanyou into the world. He had witnessed the cruelty that his own little brother had endured. Sure, he hadn't been much help but he didn't want to see his son end up like Inuyasha.

_Father had no idea what he was doing. I did. I am worse than he was. I am worse than he would ever be._

Not only that but Inu no Taisho hadn't done it secretly. He had loved Izayoi. Sesshoumaru had not loved Sango. Still didn't love her. Hell, the Daiyoukai didn't even know what love was. His mother never mentioned anything of the sort. She had twisted his father's image until the great General was worse than the Devil himself.

"You look like you've been up all night. Brooding?" Inuyasha queried as he approached slowly. "Sango wants to see you. She's worried that you'll run off and ditch her and Sesshue." At the mention of the two that were considered his family, all of his thoughts seemed stupid and selfish. When he had held Sesshue, a wave of something deep and cold consumed him. It made his hair stand on end and his senses sharpen. Sesshue was a part of him. When he looked at the baby boy, _his_ baby boy, he had felt alone. More alone than ever before.

"I am not going anywhere." The thought brought on morbid memories. Sango's confession to her thoughts made him uneasy and angered. Was he really so dishonorable? His mind raced to the times he watched his father's back as Inu no Taisho walked away. The final time he had done so, the General had not returned. "I would not turn my back to them." Even though it shouldn't have affected him, it really had. His vision blurred. He had been up all night, his mind working over everything he had done, everything he still needed to accomplish.

"Well, she don't know that. Her family is dead and you and the kid are all she has left. She doesn't know any better." Sesshoumaru's brow creased for a fraction of a second.

"You were no help to that." Guilty, Inuyasha averted his gaze. "Is she still with that miko? I would like some time with her." The hanyou knew that, though it sounded like a request, it was actually an order.

"Kagome's gotta go home for a little while again so you two have a while to yourselves." The brothers stared at each other. Usually they were never in the presence of each other so long without fighting or cursing each other. Sesshoumaru scowled darkly before standing up.

"That is fine."

Sango grinned as she held her little Sesshue, staring lovingly into his amber eyes. He stared back, her emotion mirrored in his curious gaze.

"Sesshue, you are going to be such a beautiful boy." She whispered, pulling him up to her face to rub noses with him. Kagome left the two alone, a smile gracing her lips. Never had she seen the taiji-ya as she was then. Miroku approached, his gaze lowered as he stopped in front of the miko.

"Can I go in to bless the child?" Kagome opened her mouth to speak when Kaede appeared from the doorway. The old woman let him inside and turned a gaze to the miko that seemed to resemble steel.

"You may." He smiled slightly, his eyes still downcast as he went inside. "Let them have some time alone. They need to get through their downfalls or else they will never be able to be friends again."

The sight that greeted the houshi when he entered nearly broke his heart. It was such a tender moment between mother and...son. The baby looked a lot like Inuyasha from what he could tell.

"Sango..." She looked up, her look changing from loving mother to withdrawn acquaintance. "Listen, Sango... I am sorry for the trouble that I have caused you. I will bother you no longer about that. But please...allow me to be a part of you and your child's lives." She offered a small smile as she considered his words.

"Did you want to bless him?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't ask." With a charming smile, the houshi walked over and lifted the baby into his arms. He muttered prayers and then recited certain words before bestowing sacred beads, in the form a necklace like Inuyasha's only not the same kind, upon him. "You can take them off now. It's just tradition." She did so after taking the baby back from him and placed the necklace in the small bag that held the baby's possessions. Just as Miroku was getting ready to sit down and talk with her, Sesshoumaru walked in with a look on his face that could have cleared a castle from its inhabitants. The houshi excused himself and departed rather quickly.

"You told my brother that you were afraid that I would leave." His cold accusation made Sango a bit guilty. "You do not trust that I would stay? Do you believe that I would leave you and my child to be protected by others?"

"You've left us unprotected before, only Sesshue wasn't even born, remember? You left me with Jaken and Rin and Kirara. What happened then, Sesshoumaru?" He shot her a frosty glare. "Look at me like that all you want. The only thing that it'll accomplish is to make you feel better."

"Taiji-ya-" Sesshue began fussing, possibly realizing that there was tension rising in the room.

"Sesshue..." Sango began singing a lullaby to the hanyou as she rocked him slowly back and forth in her arms. The baby's father watched with a stoic face.

"You are making him weak." A look that spelled death crossed the taiji-ya's face before she turned away from her mate completely and continued with her song.

Later on during the night, Sesshoumaru sat up watching Sango sleep. He stared at her, picking out her features with whatever dim light was in the room.

_My mother never rocked me, never sang to me... Did Izayoi do those things for Inuyasha? Am I the only one that has not been loved? Does love even exist?_

He wasn't so sure. But he had heard it mentioned a lot. Especially from Sango. Sometimes Rin sang of it in her songs...

_Rin._

He left the house and went to the one where Rin was staying with the houshi and Jaken. The villagers had built a couple of homes for emergencies. He wasn't sure how long ago it was but he was relieved that he didn't have to stay with his brother and his friends. He went inside the one where the little girl's scent was lingering and picked the child up from her bed. She woke up, surprisingly remaining quiet. He carried her out and into the night, going towards the woods. He set her beneath a tree overlooking the village before taking a seat next to her.

"Rin..." The little girl looked over at him with a tiny frown.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama? Is something troubling you?" Her concern did not go unnoticed, as it usually did. She looked worried for him. The Daiyoukai said nothing for a few long moments.

"What is...love?" Rin's eyes widened as she stared at him. He suspected that it looked like she had seen him for the first time. "Everyone seems to know of it. Some have died for it, lived for it, and got hurt because of it." She looked away from him, pulling her legs up to her chest. As she stared out over the village, Sesshoumaru felt like he had just seen her for the first time. The wisdom and solemn longing reflected in her eyes was usually not seen in such young children.

"Love...is paradise, my Lord."

**XxX**

Inuyasha heaved a long sigh. His amber eyes gazed wearily at the well. Kagome was still gone. It was only a day but he felt the thin ice he was skating on with her. If he wasn't careful, it wouldn't hold his weight for very long.

"Paradise... That is a pleasant place, yes?" The hanyou turned his head to find himself staring at his brother.

"Yes, paradise is like Heaven. Instead of Hell, you get Heaven. A place where fantasy and dreams become real." He was deeply confused about why his brother was questioning paradise. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Inuyasha." It was the first time his brother actually showed anything on his face. Sesshoumaru was deeply confused and troubled. Inuyasha didn't have to see it in his face to realize it. It was in his voice.

"There is seriously something wrong with you." The two brothers stood in silence and stared at each other. "What the hell has you so thoughtful, so unguarded?" The Daiyoukai turned away. He really wasn't up to answering questions. He didn't really know any answers. "Did you get into a fight with Sango?"

"No." Or, at least, he didn't consider it a fight. She might have. However much he disliked leaving her by herself for too long, he was still thinking deeply about love and paradise. He needed time alone to think. If he were around the taiji-ya and his baby, he wouldn't have a minute to himself.

"Well, I don't know when Kagome's coming back but, as soon as she's done, we're heading out. I don't know what you plan to do with Sango now that Sesshue's been born. You're welcome to join us in our hunt. I hate to say it but we could use the extra nose." The hanyou must have been in deep thought about the situation before. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"I will make a decision on what we are to do. You have no worries. By the time the miko gets back, all should be resolved."

Sango was feeding Sesshue when Sesshoumaru went to see her. He sat down next to her as though to tell her that he wasn't leaving so soon.

"When do you wish to depart? Inuyasha asked me earlier about what we are doing. He is anxious to defeat Naraku." Sango's face fell at the mention of departure.

"I can't risk taking Sesshue with us. But...I must help to defeat him."

"That old woman, Rin, and Jaken will be left behind. I could also make a quick trip to my-" Sango shook her head.

"Maybe if Inuyasha and Myouga could get Toutousai here... Kouga is busy searching for Naraku's hiding place..." She frowned thoughtfully. "I really don't want to leave him."

"If you wish to go then you must leave him."

"That's it! I could see if Ayame and some of the wolves could help watch over him. Surely they wouldn't mind..." She really didn't want to leave her son. However, she had a promise that was weighing heavily on her chest.

"Make a decision by the time the miko returns from beyond the well."

**XxX**

_What decision will Sango reach? Will she make one before Kagome returns from the future?_

_Until next time...review!_

_I'm going to try to get another one out before Christmas... We'll see how that turns out. Hopefully, I will be able to._

_TY!_

_-Angel_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sango has a decision to make. Should she leave her newborn child to help defeat Naraku? Should she get guardians to protect him or should she do the job herself? While Inuyasha awaits Kagome's return, Sango is in the land of indecision.

_15_

**XxX**

Sango was up almost all night trying to decide what she should do. During that time she was awake, she had been constructive and had placed her hidden blades back under her kimono sleeves. As a mother, she understood her need to be with her child, to protect him herself. However, as a warrior, she made a promise to her people, to her family, to defeat the monster known as Naraku. The hanyou definitely had to be taken care of now that she had a family again.

"Sango?" Miroku's voice made her jump. The houshi pulled back and stared at her in concern. "It is morning. Have you slept at all?" The taiji-ya shook her head as she sat up. "Kagome will be home in a couple more days. Inuyasha said that she had more studying to do for her next couple of tests or whatever it is that she has."

"Oh... I see." She whispered quietly. "So then...there are still a few more days, hm?"

"Yes." He looked so sad. It made her feel guilty for what she did to him. "Sango..." The houshi reached down and touched her hair. "I miss you." In that moment, everything that she had became real. Everything she wanted was being held in front of her. Sesshoumaru and Sesshue were a package deal. Miroku was almost a complete fantasy. He was no longer within her reach, just as she was no longer within his. Pulling away, the guilty taiji-ya got up and ran to the door.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly before leaving him alone. As Sango ran, she felt tears in her eyes. She really had loved him. But those days were done. There was no possible way that they could've been together. Weak and out of breath, she was forced to stop and sit down, right by the well at that. "Why me...?" It was a despondent whisper; one in which was voiced only to comfort herself. She sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest with a bit of difficulty. After all, her baby weight wouldn't go away for a little while.

"Taiji-ya?" She looked up to see Sesshoumaru staring down at her. "What are you doing? Where is Sesshue?"

"He is still asleep." She answered quietly. He sat down next to her, a small frown on his face. "Sesshoumaru..." Sango didn't finish what she saying before she threw herself onto his lap and hugged him. "I... I need you to look at me and tell me what you see." The Daiyoukai expected none of her actions. He thought for a moment before reaching up just as one of her tears fell from her eyes. Brushing it away with his thumb, he let out a tiny sigh.

"My answer will come at a better time, when I know more of what I am supposed to feel." Her eyes went wide when he pulled her to him, actually hugging her just to comfort her. "Have you decided yet?" When she didn't answer, he was able to figure it out for himself. "You have a couple of days."

"I know." She said quietly. "Houshi-sama told me this morning." Bringing that up made her wish that it had never happened. Why had Miroku woken her up? Why did he have to say that he missed her? Why didn't he move on like he was supposed to? "Sesshoumaru... I want us to be a family. I want to love you with all that I am." He was silent, still trying to figure everything out that had to do with love. "I want us both to find the happiness that we deserve." Staring into his face, she could almost _feel_ his inner turmoil. She gave into a sudden impulse, being rash and acting on instinct for once. Her lips met his so lightly and suddenly that the Daiyoukai hardly had time to react. He pulled away out of surprise, mostly, but also out of confusion. "Oh... I-I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean..." Trailing off in disappointment, she attempted to get off of his lap.

"Taiji... Sango." Hearing her name from his lips in such a soft tone startled the young woman. She looked at him, partly out of shame and half expecting him to turn down her words. To her utter surprise, he did none of that. "What is love? Rin said that it was paradise. Inuyasha said that paradise is something akin to Heaven and fantasy." She almost wanted to laugh but knew that he would take it the wrong way.

"Sesshoumaru, you can't describe love. There is no way to do it. Although, Rin was absolutely correct that it is paradise to love and have that love returned." She bit her lip as an idea formed in her mind. "We have plenty of time to be together... I will show you what love is. I promise you that if you stay with me as my mate, then you will see and learn what it is." He smirked at her cleverness. So, she wanted him, did she? The Daiyoukai had a base urge to return her kiss from before. What else could he do but attempt to rekindle that tiny flame of emotion? His lips lightly brushed hers before he applied more pressure to it.

Miroku could do nothing more than to follow after the taiji-ya after she ran off. He had caused her pain again and was filled with guilt at the very thought that she was hurting because of something stupid that he had said.

_Sango, can I never do anything right in your presence?_

The houshi paused to consider what he was doing. The way she had run out on him hinted that she didn't want to talk to him. However, as a houshi and as the man that loved her, he couldn't just sit and wait for her to return to him. He decided to give her some time and so slowed his jog to a walk. He arrived just at the clearing of the well when he heard her voice.

"...I want to love you with all that I am." There was a brief pause where nothing was said. "I want us both to find the happiness that we deserve." He peered through the trees and saw Sango kiss Sesshoumaru. Quickly, and with a red face, he turned around and walked away. With every step, his gait became quicker. Finally, he was running to the village with blurred vision. Sango belonged to Sesshoumaru. There was nothing else to it. He could not intervene.

**XxX**

Sango and Sesshoumaru wanted to get back to the village before Sesshue woke up. Sango actually felt good about being with the Daiyoukai after their talk. Knowing that she was stuck with him and wanting any doubts out of her mind, she had to take that leap of faith. On the way, she had reached over and held his hand, their fingers lightly grasping for each other.

"You really are curious about love, aren't you?" The Daiyoukai frowned at her. Of course he was curious about it. Seriously curious. "Well, don't worry... You'll know soon enough about how to express it and what it feels like."

"Is kissing an expression of love?" She nodded with a smile. "I've kissed before but...not out of love. I don't know what it was that made me do it. I think they wanted it more than I did." Sango felt a little jealous. Her relationship with Miroku hadn't even gotten to a kiss.

"Did you kiss a lot of women?" She wished that she hadn't asked. In all reality, she didn't think she could take the answer.

"No." He looked down at her. "I haven't taken many women. The urges that youkai have every once in a while take over and we have the need for sexual relations. But none of it meant anything." She flushed as she pulled her hand from his grasp.

"Are you telling me that youkai have sex without even knowing each other?" He shrugged.

"I knew the few that I had relations with. None were virgins..." Sango's face turned a darker shade of red and she put her hands over her ears. "You were." She halted as she stared at him with a weird look on her face.

"Did that surprise you?" He nodded.

"I did not smell anyone's scent on you like that but I would have pegged you as taken by the houshi. Before I could smell it on you. The scent of your innocence...was so different. Untouched, pure. It made me want you more. I did not expect that scent to hit me so strongly. I thought you had been taken." She shook her head and continued her walk with him, this time keeping her hands to herself.

"We never even kissed each other. Well...not before you." They were just about back to the village. She stopped again when she felt his hand brush hers. "We have a few days together. We should spend some time having fun." He stared at her silently. What was the sudden foreboding feeling he was having?

Miroku looked up at the sky, not bothering to wipe the few tears away from his face. He wanted Sango so badly. Why had he messed everything up?

"What's your problem, houshi?" Inuyasha stood over him, a frown on his face. "You got anything to talk about?"

"She's...completely gone, Inuyasha." The hanyou rolled his eyes.

"Of course she is, dumb shit. She just had his kid. Why would she go to someone else when she now has a family?" He sat down by his depressed friend. "You have a lot of learning to do if you think you can ever hope to take her back."

"I have no more hope of that." The houshi's violet eyes went to his cursed hand. "Sango should have been pregnant with my baby. Instead, I made her lose faith in me. This is all my fault."

"We have to concern ourselves with Naraku now, Miroku. You have to realize that personal feelings cannot come between all of us. We have to get that bastard and defeat him before something happens to that baby." Sesshue was something else. Miroku had never seen amber eyes that held anything but malice and mistrust. Sesshue's eyes held love for his mother and father. He looked at everyone with a smile and flicked his ears for attention.

"He should have the right to remain innocent for the rest of his life."

"I agree with you there, houshi. I agree with you there."

**XxX**

Sango woke up, her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she was suffocating. Attempting to sit up, the taiji-ya was forced to remain as she was. Someone was holding her.

"Relax, Sango. Remain still and get as much rest as you can." Sesshoumaru's warm breath tickled her ear. "Try."

"But..." Her eyes remained on the ceiling. "I can't sleep...Sesshue is-"

"Just relax. He is not here yet. We do not want to meet him out there yet. We wish to see who he is after, since he is coming for us this time." She closed her eyes, trying her best to ease her stressed nerves.

It was no more than an hour later, just as Sango was beginning to fall back to sleep, when she was jolted awake. Sesshoumaru had her in his arms and was holding her next to Sesshue's bed. She got her baby out and grabbed his bag of things. Just as they were getting out, Kirara jumped next to Sesshue. Then the house collapsed.

"Sesshoumaru...so it is true. You and that little troublesome wench have a hanyou child." Sango's eyes narrowed and she wanted desperately to get out of her mate's arms. He held her tightly and gave her a long look.

"You will not be involved in this fight. You must protect Sesshue. At all cost." Kirara jumped down and transformed just as Sesshourmaru set the taiji-ya down behind him. Inuyasha was behind her with the Tessaiga ready and waiting. "Do not ever speak to me in such a tone, you half-breed." Those amber eyes that had held actual emotions previously held none. His face looked fierce, battle-ready.

"Inuyasha, where is-"

"He's holding off Kagura and Kanna with the help of Kaede. I don't know where you should go but don't get in the way with the kid. Kirara, take her somewhere safe, all right?" Sango wanted to protest but she knew he was right. Rin and Shippou approached on Ah-Uhn.

"Get outta the way!" Kouga and his fellow wolves moved in, as though they had been previously forewarned.

"Kouga, get the Hiraikotsu! I might need it. It's right inside Kaede-san's home." He sent a scout out with her to retrieve it quickly. Sango held Sesshue in one arm and her weapon in the other. Rin and Shippou were on Ah-Uhn, all of them instructed to follow Sango and Kirara. Rin held the baby as Sango strapped on her gear. She had grabbed her wakizashi to make certain that she could fight with something other than her Hiraikotsu and hidden blades, the latter usually being a last resort. The taiji-ya took Sesshue back from Rin before they headed out, moving fast from the huge battle.

"Sango-chan! Look out!" Kirara had sensed them, moving skillfully out of the way of the attack before awaiting orders from her mistress. Shippou looked down at the ground and his eyes widened.

"There's too many, Sango!" Kirara felt the taiji-ya's guiding hand and she flew over toward Ah-Uhn. "What are you..."

"You guys are going to get away from here. Rin, take Sesshue and here are his things, Shippou. Take care of yourselves and don't let anything happen to the baby. Ah-Uhn is going to take you to the safest place he can." While Ah-Uhn was leaving, Sango told Kirara to descend. The dragon had taken them out of the range of the youkai but they were still close enough so that she could sense where they were. A golem was leading a hoard of youkai. "Kirara, we're going to give this all we've got. It is time for vengeance." The neko roared her agreement.

"Silly taiji-ya. You have no hope to defeat me and my minions. You are severely outnumbered." In response, Sango hurled her Hiraikotsu at him with a fierce expression on her face.

"Never underestimate my survival skills." He moved out of the way of the boomerang but was then confronted with a wakizashi. "If you think you can defeat me, then prove it."

"Arrogant wench." He went to attack but she jumped back and caught Hiraikotsu with practiced ease. A grin rested on her lips. Kirara was protecting the area where the children were so she was worry-free.

"I have the right to be arrogant, you bastard half-breed." Though it wasn't the real Naraku, she knew that the hanyou could hear her words, her defiance striking against him. "Give my regards to the Devil when you go to Hell!" She cut one of the tentacles off before jumping at him. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her close to his face.

"Why don't you give my regards to your friends in Hell, taiji-ya?" She cut his head off before hacking away at the tentacles. Sango was grabbed around the ankle and tripped, falling hard on her side. The taiji-ya plunged her wakizashi into the heart of the golem and dragged it to the side, cutting the little wooden doll in half. Quickly gaining her footing, she proceeded to wipe out the hoard of angry, blood-thirsty youkai.

-

Sesshoumaru was actually nervous. Naraku was having sudden changes of expression during their clash; ones that the Daiyoukai didn't quite like.

"Your mate is having certain...complications with a golem of mine." The hanyou had a smirk of pure evil resting on his face.

"You had better not harm her or else you'll have one body part on each level of Hell!" Sesshoumaru had to admit that he was beginning to get concerned. There was something blocking his ability to sense her or the children.

"Threatening me, now are you? A little worried for your pretty little mate? Perhaps me possessing her would make you more angry than seeing her dead body before your very eyes..."

"I do not make threats, Naraku. No, I make promises. Any way you swing this battle, the outcome will be the same." His eyes were beginning to glow red from the anger he was trying to contain. Naraku was acting too cocky to be joking. Sango really wasn't in any condition to be fighting.

"Sesshoumaru, can you sense her?" Inuyasha was close due to dodging attacks from Kagura and Kanna. "I lost her trail a while ago. Should one of us go and look for her?"

"Right now, we're all tied up. There is no choice right now." Miroku and Jaken, along with some of the wolves, were fighting hoards of youkai; Inuyasha and Kouga were battling the incarnations; and Sesshoumaru was clashing head on with Naraku. "As soon as we can, we have to find her."

"Good luck, puppy. I doubt if you will make it to her while she is living."

-

Sango clenched her teeth, pushing hard against the Hiraikotsu as she blocked the attacks on her. It was definitely the final assault. No matter how many youkai she seemed to kill, they continued to attack her. No real number was stuck in her mind and there was no way for her to run from the fight. Along with the youkai, there were dozens of golems.

_Sesshoumaru...if I don't make it back to you alive, protect and guide Sesshue with all the love you could possibly give to him..._

She felt herself being lifted and hurled right into the air. The taiji-ya turned her body and hurled her boomerang to the ground, hitting one of the golems along with youkai surrounding it. Her Hiraikotsu was no longer reachable. She would have to use her other weapons.

"Out of options, taiji-ya? You have little time left. Any last words that you would like to give to your lover and friends?" Sango's face turned red. He laughed at her while reaching up and grasping her around the waist with his tentacle. Her wakizashi was suddenly in her hands, slicing him until she was free.

"You should know better than to underestimate me, Naraku." The golem was suddenly wiped out. No sooner was he defeated that another replaced him. She just barely dodged an attack, her skirt getting split in half. Luckily, it only made it shorter instead of cutting it completely off. Her eyes gleamed with hatred. Though she wouldn't admit it, he was really too much for her tired body. She had given birth not too long ago. "Sesshoumaru..." The taiji-ya darted behind a tree and tried to catch her breath. Sango barely got out of the way as the tree was sliced in half. She jumped onto one of the large serpent-like youkai and attacked from its back. It tried to fight her off but only wound up biting itself when she moved out of the way.

"How long can you keep this up before you give in to the exhaustion?" What Sango was really trying to do was to get her Hiraikotsu back. She could only hope that he continued to remain ignorant to her plans.

-

Kagura wasn't the problem for him. It was Kanna and that damn mirror. Inuyasha couldn't possibly release the Kaze no Kizu. He growled. At the rate he was going, Sango would die before he could reach her. Only Kagome's arrows could break the mirror.

"Inuyasha!" An arrow whizzed by his head and struck the mirror, cracking it in half. Her Hama no Ya was certainly getting stronger. The arrows never used to be so strong.

"Stupid! You almost purified my fucking skull! Next time you try to make a dramatic entrance, let me know first!" Kagome gave him a defiant glare.

"If I had told you before I shot it, do you really think it would have struck the mirror?" She fired another arrow, this one landing on the ground at the feet of the two incarnations, distracting them. "Hurry up!" Inuyasha growled as he released his Kaze no Kizu. Kanna went to block it when another arrow struck and completely shattered it. They were both torn apart by the powerful blow of the Tessaiga.

"Sango's in trouble, Kagome. We need to help Sesshoumaru. He's trying but that fucking infant is nowhere to be found and the bastard still has his shard."

"Kouga is here, too?"

"Actually...yeah. All of the shards are on the battlefield. That's why this should be the last clash." Kouga had left him briefly to help his subordinates. "We can't risk having him gain the whole jewel." Kagome bit her lip in thought.

"Inuyasha, I need Kouga over here. I'll help Sesshoumaru while you get him for me. Trust me. I know what has to be done." That infant... Naraku hadn't taken it into himself. It was his heart. It would make him weak. But both of the incarnations had been killed, right? Not completely... "Kagura...?" The youkai was badly injured. Kagome walked over and stood next to her. "Your sister has been slain. Why do you still live?"

"I will not die in captivity. What you seek lies just beyond your reach. The infant is in the next town. I will kill him if you detain Naraku long enough. I want my heart back. I want my freedom." Kagome nodded and bent down, picking up the fan that belonged to the woman.

"I trust you. But you must hurry." Kagome helped her stand and sent her quickly away before joining Sesshoumaru in the battle. Kagura had not betrayed their secret. And they had known about her secret longing to be set free. Sesshoumaru pulled a stunning maneuver, his claws going right through the hanyou's shoulder. He then proceeded to twist his claws so that they were embedded in his back. Naraku punched and clawed the Daiyoukai. Sesshoumaru never flinched. He could only think of destroying the hanyou before his mate and child were killed.

-

Sango grasped the Hiraikotsu as she was thrown to the ground by another golem.

_How many of them did he make? This is bad... I can hardly breathe anymore much less fight._

Still, she couldn't depend on anyone else to save her ass. She had lives on the line. Her baby's life, Rin's life, and Shippou's too. If she got herself killed, the youkai would devour the children. Sesshoumaru was fighting the real Naraku, not just the puppets and the petty youkai at his beck and call. The others were probably fighting off hordes and the incarnations. She couldn't just run and expect someone to save her. Taiji-ya were independent and strong. They didn't give up, not even when they were out-numbered.

"No matter what, Naraku, I'll kick your ass!" She had lost most of her clothing and had just enough to keep herself covered. Her hair was matted with blood and she could hardly tell what color her skin really was. The golem laughed at her as he inflicted another gash on her body, this one scraping across her back as she tried to roll out of the way. Without even seeming to feel it, she slammed her wakizashi into the tentacle before getting to her knees and bringing the Hiraikotsu down, splitting him in half. One look around her small battlefield would have made even a youkai vomit. Guts and blood were all over the place. Sango was even certain that she had pieces of it in her hair. She had been forced to use her blades but had set them back in place quickly so she could use her other weapons.

"Bitch!" One of the youkai wasn't just a mindless drone. "Naraku promised me something other than blood for this battle. He promised me whatever I wanted. I should keep you." He leered at her body, even though she still had some baby weight left. Though, she hadn't gotten as big as she had imagined herself to be. His gaze was mostly focused on the size of her breasts and her long legs, which were covered in blood, most of which probably wasn't hers.

"You should focus on something other than my chest or else you might not have any eyes left to gawk with." Sango ran at him wielding her famous boomerang. He dodged her swing and grabbed her arms. She brought her knee up into his stomach then smashed her head against his before successfully freeing herself. He was instantly back to his senses and quite riled up.

"Wench. Didn't anyone teach you respect?" The taiji-ya smirked as she stared into his bright green eyes. He looked like a human. She would have pegged him as one if she couldn't sense youki and if he hadn't had fangs and pointed ears.

"No." Her wakizashi became used as a dagger when she threw it at him, grazing him in the arm. It was meant as a diversion, after which she promptly lunged at him and released her hidden blades. He managed to pull her arm out of its socket before she cut his throat. With a grunt, she pushed it back in and turned to face her next opponents. She wanted to drop from exhaustion but that was hardly an option. "Come and get me."

-

Kagome looked at her comrades as they stood, staring at the lockdown between Daiyoukai and hanyou. She wanted Sesshoumaru to leave the battle and rescue Sango. But he was seeing red. He was way too pissed off to back down.

"Kouga...could you go and help Sango? I'm worried about her. She just had her baby and now she's fighting by herself." The wolf youkai frowned and looked at the hanyou he desperately wanted to kill. Inuyasha snorted.

"Let me go and help her out. I'll bring her back in a few minutes." He set his hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Keep hitting him with your arrows and go through with your plan. I'll be back." The hanyou went to leave when something caught his attention. "Kagome-" Naraku had knocked Sesshoumaru away and ripped the shards from Kouga's legs when the wolf went to protect the miko.

"Kouga!" Kagome looked up at Naraku before catching sight of his shard of the jewel. "Gotcha." She aimed and fired while Sesshoumaru distracted the hanyou from his sight of the arrow by twisting them around so that the bastard's back was to the miko. They continued to hold on to each other, neither giving way or easing up on their grip until after the arrow was fired. Then Sesshoumaru was immediately out of the way. Naraku got hit with the arrow and felt the skin around the wound becoming purified. The tip of the arrow just barely hit his portion of the jewel. Sesshoumaru kept him pinned to the ground as Kagome hurried over and grabbed hold of the arrow. An explosive white light surrounded them, blinding everyone in the area.

-

Miroku ran through the woods with Kouga's subordinates and tried to find Sango. Ginta and Hakakku got a lock on her scent and followed it as far as they could. A bloody battlefield was all that they saw before they stopped dead in their tracks. Sango had just implanted her blades into her opponent's abdomen. However, in a last attempt to take her life, he put his sword through her side. The taiji-ya stood there before falling backwards.

"Sango!"

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to see Kagome kneeling on the ground, the Shikon no Tama in her bloody hands. Youkai were everywhere, escaping for their lives but getting killed off by Inuyasha and Kouga. The Daiyoukai sat up and stared at the burnt spot where the hanyou had been. A figure approached the ground, a body in her arms. Kagura approached with the dead infant in her arms. She stared at Kagome as she threw the body to the ground.

"Naraku will hold me no longer." Kouga looked around and noticed some of his wolves dead on the ground. Villagers were dead and homes were either burnt or crushed. There were casualties but that was to be expected. "My heart is beating in my chest."

"Kagura..." Kagome looked up with a small smile. "I knew you'd come through." Before anything else could be done, Miroku burst through the woods with an unconscious taiji-ya in his arms. Sesshoumaru smelled the blood and felt the pain. His wide eyes took in her pale face, took in her calm expression. The blood drained from Inuyasha's face and the Tessaiga slid from his hand.

"Fuck!"

**XxX**

_I'm sorry! Don't kill me!_

_It seemed that all it took was the simultaneous destruction of Naraku and the infant, huh? I didn't really know how to defeat him in this fic, though I tried my best to make it as exciting as possible._

_I gave you a long action-packed chapter...even though it was a little late. I feel terrible for not updating sooner. But I hope this chapter made up for that._

_The next chapter should be out soon. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoyed._

_-Angel_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Naraku has been defeated and the battle is over. But at what cost?

_16_

**XxX**

Inuyasha stared at the wounds of the woman in Miroku's arms. Her clothes were almost completely gone and the blood was abundant.

"She defeated a hoard nearly twice the size of ours..." Ginta said quietly. "The children are behind us. The neko was protecting them."

"I found all of these on the ground. They smell of Naraku." Hakakku held out a pile of wooden dolls, each with a black strand of hair around them. Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to the houshi. Miroku handed the battered taiji-ya over. Rin and Shippou arrived with Sesshue and Kagome instantly took the baby to begin soothing him. The baby looked miserable, as though he could sense the trouble his mother was in.

"I'm gonna take a look at the battlefield." Inuyasha walked away, wanting to witness for himself the size of the army that Naraku had sent after his friend. Also, he would retrieve her weapons. As soon as he got there, the strong scent of blood made him dizzy. What he saw in front of him wasn't a battlefield. It was a graveyard. There was no inch of ground clean from blood or organs or body parts. "Naraku...you rat bastard. If she doesn't die from the wounds then the exhaustion should take her." So many golems...so many youkai. Would she be okay?

Sesshoumaru did everything himself; from cleaning her up to bandaging her wounds to dressing her in fresh clothing. He was silent the entire day. It would have concerned Inuyasha but the hanyou knew what was running through his brother's head.

"She'll be fine, y'know." The Daiyoukai didn't look up. He was staring at the mark on his mate's neck. "You'll see, Sesshoumaru." That night they cleaned up what they could and prepared as much as they could for the following morning.

-

Sango didn't stir for the next couple of days. Sesshoumaru stayed with her until morning and returned to her at night. He was patient, changing her bandages without moving her too much and even giving her water, however awkward it felt. The next morning, he was expecting it to be the exact same thing. She started coughing, which woke him up immediately.

"Stop. Drink this." She calmed down and drank the water before looking at him with wide eyes. "Are you well?" A slight nod of her head eased the horrible feeling his body was radiating. "Do not worry for Sesshue and the others. They are fine." She reached up and gently ran her fingers over a bruise on his cheek.

"Is he..."

"Dead." Relief showed in her expression. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe the strength his little human possessed. Inuyasha had taken him to the hideous place of death and showed him the damage that she had caused. She winced when she tried to move. "Stop trying to move."

"Sesshoumaru..." He kissed her forehead and pressed her down on the bed. "I'm sorry."

"For what, little fool? You did nothing wrong. Everything is fine." She had proved herself worthy of his respect, of his affection. She had protected their child, Rin, and the little kitsune. She had kept her word that she would protect Sesshue with her life and that she wouldn't die.

"W-Where is Sesshue?" He sighed; he had been expecting that question.

"He is with my brother and the miko. They will care for him until you are well enough." The taiji-ya looked like she wanted to cry but she held it in. "Everyone is fine and I am certain that they will be coming to visit you soon."

"Sesshoumaru, are you going to stay with me?" Since Naraku was dead, Sesshoumaru had no other reason to remain with them. He didn't answer for a few minutes, which made her nervous beyond belief.

"Why would I abandon my mate and child? That would make me no better than my father." A brilliant smile lit her face right up. The Daiyoukai had to turn away. He wasn't sure what really made him do it but he couldn't understand how he could make her happy by staying with her. He would soon find out.

**XxX**

Sango brushed her hair back and grinned at Kirara, her partner in crime. The taiji-ya had been sneaking out so that she could exercise and do her daily runs. The neko was the only one that knew about it. Since Sango's wounds had not yet completely healed, she wasn't supposed to exert too much energy. So much for that theory. It was early, around dawn when she was going out for her brisk morning run. Then she would exercise a little before going back and climbing into bed to pretend she was asleep.

"Where do you think you're going, taiji-ya?" His smooth voice cut through the wonderful silence right before she could leave the room.

"I..." Turning around, she noticed that the Daiyoukai was completely dressed and wide awake. He was always awake, wasn't he? "I wanted something to do, Sesshoumaru. I need to lose this excess weight and get back into shape. It's driving me crazy to sit here and heal."

"I know all about it. Did you believe you were fooling me?" She shook her head.

"I had no intention of fooling you. I just...didn't want the others to know. Kagome would probably kill me if she were to find out." The miko would definitely force her into bed rest for a long time. "What did you want, anyway?"

"I need to speak with you." She felt a foreboding feeling well up inside her. Since Naraku was defeated, was he going to kill her? "What were your ambitions for after Naraku's defeat?" She didn't really know how to answer.

"From...before what happened?" After his nod, she sucked in a deep breath. "Well...I had promised Houshi-sama to marry him. Then I was going to try to rebuild my village."

"You wanted to rebuild the Taiji-ya village? Do you know how long that would take? There are not many brave men that will fight with you. Nor will they accept your child." His voice was chill and almost made her shiver.

"They will have to accept those that are not doing harm. Taiji-ya were never meant to kill youkai that were not causing harm." She glared at him. "We only wanted what was best. We wanted peace and quiet. But Naraku wouldn't have it! He had to kill my entire village for _one_ shard!"

"So, you intend to make it right by training new taiji-ya?" The Daiyoukai wanted her to stop but knew that she wouldn't back down.

"I'm not making anything right. I'm just fulfilling a promise." It was inevitable. "I know it's going to be hard...especially now with Sesshue. But I hope to have some help."

**XxX**

Sesshoumaru watched her with their child. She was so caring, so concerned about the baby. Her smile was one of the brightest he had seen. They were all leaving in a couple of days. Inuyasha and the others had agreed to help her with the village. Then, once the village was set up, Miroku would travel with Inuyasha to spread the word to anyone that wanted to join them. Sesshoumaru was surprised he was even agreeing with her. Though, how could he not? There was nothing left for him to worry about. Naraku had been his greatest problem. Anyone else, he could handle alone.

"Sango-chan, can I help you with your village?" Sango grinned at her.

"Of course you can. I can teach you all sorts of good stuff. You can learn all about medicinal herbs and how to grow them. That way, you can manage the garden. Would you like that?" Rin looked absolutely ecstatic.

"I would love that! Thank you so much, Sango-chan!" Rin bounced off with her grin glued to her face. Sesshoumaru wasn't certain that the taiji-ya would teach him anything to do with fighting but, really, he wouldn't mind it. It was time that the girl learned to protect herself. Sesshue reached up a tiny hand and gripped at Sango's shirt.

"Sesshue." She cooed. The way his name left her lips sort of made Sesshoumaru cringe. He had never heard that tone used before. It was such a sugary sweet tone that it made him sick. "Don't worry, my love... I will always protect you." Tears glistened in the taiji-ya's eyes but she never let them fall.

Would he ever understand love...?

**--**

It was bright, sunny, and warm. Perfect weather for what they were planning to do. The village gates appeared on the horizon, a welcoming sign to Sango. _Home_...

"Sango, isn't that smoke coming from the village?" Kagome asked as she stared at the large grey cloud. The taiji-ya handed Sesshue over to the miko and said that she would take care of it. Sesshoumaru followed her without a word. He didn't trust the feeling he was having at the moment. Sango was running quite fast and Sesshoumaru kept himself hidden in the trees even though he was at her heels. The taiji-ya slowed when she approached the open gate, a shadowed expression clouding her face. Her heart hammered in her chest and a flush spread across her face when she realized exactly who it was.

"Takeda-sama..." The young lord was sitting with a few of his men around a fire. It appeared that he was waiting...for her.

"Sango-chan!" His face brightened when he noticed her standing there. "Men, take a look at the Legendary Taiji-ya! Sango-chan helped to defeat that monster of a hanyou! She is a hero and she will be my wife!" Her mahogany eyes wide in shock; she stared at him for a good long time.

"But I told you-"

"I have waited for you, my dear Sango-chan. I have waited all this time to become your husband. Now, please allow me to introduce you to my men. They will help you to rebuild your village. Then we can hold the wedding here! That houshi in your group is able to wed us, is he not?" Sango felt herself trembling. She didn't want to confront it again. How many times did she have to say no to the guy?

"Takeda-sama, I-" She was cut off by a low growl right next to her ear. Her heart nearly stopped. Sesshoumaru.

"Who are you?" Kuranosuke had no clue who the man standing behind Sango was. He was a youkai, of that the lord knew from just looking at him. "You remind me of someone... Wasn't it the hanyou that traveled with you, Sango-chan?" Sesshoumaru's frown deepened.

"I do not have to answer to you-"

"Takeda-sama, this is Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the West. He is Inuyasha's elder brother." There was silence all around as they realized that one of the Great Daimyou actually stood in front of them. Kuranosuke felt a distinct sinking feeling. Just then, the others managed to drag themselves in behind the two. The young lord's eyes landed on the baby in Kagome's arms. The miko's eyes were on Sango's back.

"Ah, it is so good to see you all again. Come and sit. There is food and drink for all of you." Rin dashed in, dragging Jaken and Shippou along with her. Kirara lingered briefly before joining them. Her tails waved and she mewed at the sight of food. All they wanted to do was rest and eat. Sesshue began fussing for his mother. Sango bit her lip as she turned slightly. He was hungry and needed sleep, not to mention a possible change. "We can all talk later. I would prefer if it were just the two of us." The taiji-ya then went to her crying child and held the little boy. Her eyes were bright with concern as she carried him to the hut that she had been using for her every visit. Sesshoumaru followed her.

"What is the story behind this?" She didn't feel like explaining it to him. At all.

"I knew him when I was younger. He's always wanted me to marry him. I can handle this on my own."

"If you could handle it, he wouldn't still be asking." The taiji-ya ignored him. "In what manner did you talk to him? If you did not outright refuse, then he still believes that you want to be with him."

"I told him that I had things to take care of before I would even consider settling down."

"No wonder." He glared at her with a harsh frown on his face. "I will settle this. That man will cease his actions or else he will be at war with me."

"Sesshoumaru, I told you that I would settle it later! It wasn't something that I could just refuse. My father actually told me to marry him. He said that I..." She couldn't continue her sentence. It really did seem like an eternity since she heard her father's firm voice commanding her to get used to the idea of being married to Takeda Kuranosuke. "He said that I was a woman and didn't have the choice..."

"Your father can no longer bind you to anything. You are mine and it will be known." He left her sitting there with their child. How was she going to set everything right? With a soft sigh, she set those thoughts aside. She would handle it as best as she was able.

--

Sesshoumaru stormed over to the houshi. Sure, he didn't like the idea brewing inside of his mind but if he left it to Sango, she wouldn't do the job thoroughly enough.

"Houshi." Miroku jumped at the sound of the Daiyoukai's voice. His violet eyes widened and he stood up quickly. "You are certified to wed people, are you not?"

"Well... I am a houshi. It does not matter for certification as long as there is a man of Buddha standing at the head of the ceremony. Why?" There was an uneasy feeling welling up inside of him. He was extremely terrified standing in front of the youkai that nearly killed him for considering taking Sango away from him.

"I will require you for a ceremony. It will be held when the village is complete. You will tell no one, understand?" It clicked, then, what Sesshoumaru was talking about.

"You are going to...marry Sango? I thought that you made her your mate already..."

"It is none of your concern as to my reasoning. You will write the little paper of binding and perform the ceremony, understood?" Miroku nodded dumbly. Then he hesitated.

"Sesshoumaru... You do know that marriage is more than just parchment, right? You need to get her a ring."

"Ring? Why is there need of such a thing?"

"Well...to ward off other men, of course. If a woman wears a ring on her left hand, she is considered taken. It is like the bite mark of bonding that youkai have." The Daiyoukai nodded then walked away. Miroku felt very insecure about the whole scheme. And if it wasn't bad enough, he was sworn to secrecy. If he said anything, Sesshoumaru would murder him.

**XxX**

Sango stood over the layout that they made of one of the bigger homes. Sesshoumaru had indirectly ordered Inuyasha and that young lord's men into making a large one.

"Sesshoumaru, what is this?" The taiji-ya crossed her arms and glared at him. "All of the homes were the same size when I was growing up. I will not allow-"

"Do you really believe that with children of your own, you want a tiny little hut?" She gave him a dirty look.

"Look, my father raised two children in our house and it was only half the size of that!" The Daiyoukai felt an impending headache.

"I was thinking of expanding the village. There obviously were not enough taiji-ya to defeat one hanyou..." It was a harsh blow, he knew, but he really wanted his way.

"You're impossible! I pray to the spirits that my children don't turn out like you!" Sango stormed away and left the smirking Daiyoukai to give the order to continue. Kagome laughed at the scene. They were really coming along. Sesshoumaru's tolerance level for Sango was really improving. "That... That stupid, inconsiderate, hopeless-"

"Sango-chan, calm down. Besides, it wouldn't be a bad idea to expand the village. After what happened with Naraku, we could really use the extra help should anything else come up." The taiji-ya sat down next to the miko. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"Not really... It's just that I really want you guys to stay. It would be a great help. I mean, you can finish up your apprenticeship with Kaede-sama and then return here with us. Would you like that?" Kagome grinned.

"Silly! Did you think we would leave? I think that even Miroku will stay here...most of the time." The young miko was watching the children. Rin, Shippou, and Jaken were planting the gardens. She had Sesshue in her arms. "Besides, I fell in love with this baby."

"Kagome-chan...I don't know what to do about Takeda-sama." She took Sesshue in her arms and kissed his nose affectionately. A slight laugh escaped her when he looked at her cross-eyed. "Sesshoumaru said that he would handle it. But...look at how he handled Houshi-sama. I just don't need any more stress."

"He's changing, Sango. Seriously, he is not like he used to be. I understand that he isn't leaping into the perfect husband category but he is slowly going towards that goal without realizing it. How else would you explain how he planned out the expansion of the village? How else would you explain his thoughts on giving you a bigger home?" Kagome leaned against her friend's shoulder. "He's planning for your future here. He's accepted that you will live here. He's giving you what you wanted."

"Takeda-sama wants me to go with him. Sesshoumaru never said anything like that." The young taiji-ya was faced with the truth in that moment. "I guess...I'll let him take care of me." Kagome grinned.

"That's my girl. Just relax and let everything happen as it should."

--

Sango wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled at the work she had accomplished. She had helped them to finish the home that Sesshoumaru was under command of. The sun was beating down on her, as she was on the roof.

"How does it look?" Sesshoumaru walked outside from where he was helping the others inside. He looked at it and nodded.

"Adequate." She nearly threw her hammer at him if someone hadn't stopped her by calling out to her.

"Sango-chan!" Kuranosuke grinned up at her from the ground. "It is looks absolutely wonderful from here!" She smiled and turned her head to gaze at Sesshoumaru with a smug look on her face. He almost rolled his eyes at the actions she was initiating but held back the childish antic.

"We should start on the next one right away. While there is still daylight." She agreed and walked toward the edge, staring down at her mate. Making a decision, she decided to test it out. The taiji-ya jumped off of the roof and prepared herself to land on her feet. Sesshoumaru glared at her as he caught her before she hit the ground. "What kind of half-wit move was that?"

"The one that got you to catch me." His eyes narrowed and then he dropped her on her feet and stormed away. She knew exactly what to say to piss him off. But it really was nice, being so close to him. His gorgeous eyes and that fair skin. He was an absolutely beautiful creature. She didn't even have to think twice to know that she was getting closer to him.

--

The moon was but a crescent in the sky, the stars bright as they shown their silver light down upon the taiji-ya. She sat on top of the roof of her new home and felt a smile pass her lips. It had been a long time since she had been so at peace. Her dark hair brushed her cheek and her mahogany eyes sparkled with serenity.

"Why are you not inside?" The deep voice didn't startle her. In fact, it merely made her smile wider. The night was one of the warmest that they had yet. Why wouldn't she remain outside? She was silent for a while, taking in the beauty of his face bathed in moonlight.

"I wanted some time to myself. This is all so...overwhelming." He sat down next to her and stared at the sky. "I mean... I finally have a place to call home. I have a family again." He frowned, his eyes going the tiny wooden box he had hidden in his sleeve when he saw her on the roof. The houshi's words were burned into his mind.

_**"I sort of forgot to mention that you need another ring."**_

_**"Another one? For what?"**_

_**  
"It's called an engagement ring. You have to present that to her when you ask her..."**_

It was a beautiful silence. One that didn't require words at all. The village had never known such peace. Sango's deep eyes regarded the darkness in silent surrender. She wanted to rest. All she wanted to do was rest so that she didn't have to feel fatigue anymore. She wanted...to finally be taken care of.

"I have thought about how to take care of that lord." The subject inwardly made her cringe. Now there was something she really didn't want to discuss.

"Sesshoumaru-"

"Sango, I want you to marry me." Her words froze in her throat. She stared at him with wide eyes, her surprise getting the best of her. The little wooden box in his hands told her that he was completely serious. When he flipped it open, tears were forced into her eyes.

"S-Sesshoumaru..." He pulled the little ring out and she had to hold back a startled gasp. He indicated that she hand him her left hand. With a soft smile, as no words would leave her lips, she gave him her hand and allowed him to slide the ring onto her ring finger. How he knew the size, she wouldn't know. That was just like the Daiyoukai. A mystery to the end. Sesshoumaru decided that he would set aside his normal actions and allow himself to bask in her presence. She bit her lower lip before leaning over and kissing him gently on the lips. It was no surprise to either of them that it didn't stop there.

**XxX**

Beads of sweat glistened on her skin as she attempted to restore the loss of oxygen her body had taken on. Her panting grew less intense as she rested against his solid body. Her eyes took in his body and she marveled at how beautiful a body could actually be. As she was staring at him, she noticed the ring around her finger and allowed a smile to grace her face.

_I am glad that he decided to take us away from the village..._

It brought her back to a conversation that they had before, right after he claimed her. He was right in saying that he would take her...again. She also remembered what he said about her being passionate. She said that it would wear off but she found that she was wrong.

"Still as passionate, little human." His amber eyes regarded her with a cold calm that made her shiver. Sango flushed and glared at him. "When the village is finished, you will be completely mine."

"I thought I was completely yours already..."

**XxX**

_Okay, to start - I am very sorry about the wait. In the middle, I kind of got a block and had to change it around._

_So, what's going to happen next? I can already sense the ending coming up. It may or may not be the next one. Not quite sure. Anyway, enjoy and let me know how you like it!_

_Please let me know how I did. I feel so bad that I made you guys wait. Hope it was worth it!_

_-Angel_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Threads of Love**_

I do not own Inuyasha.

**So far...**

Sesshoumaru is going to marry Sango when the village is finished. Sango is ready to accept him as the man in her life. So, will Sesshue have a family for the rest of his life? And what about the others?

_The end is soon to come!_

_17_

**XxX**

Sango wiped the sweat from her brow as she set down her tools. Her mahogany eyes squinted in the bright sunlight. The village was almost done and she was so excited that she couldn't wait. Kuranosuke had been very busy with the work that had been given to him and his men. The taiji-ya had to admit that she liked seeing less of him.

"Sango-chan, that looks great!" Kagome grinned as she rushed over with a bottle of water for the flushed taiji-ya. "You've done more work by yourself than the others got done put together. It's a good thing Sesshoumaru went over there. He's really letting them have it. He threatened them with his poison whip."

"As long as it gets the work done." She sat down and finally felt the effects of her hard work. Sesshue crawled over to her and pulled at her kimono. He wanted attention. The young mother picked him up and cooed at him, making funny noises to force laughter from his tiny body.

"You know, the more I see you two together, the more I realize that your pregnancy was a blessing. Sesshoumaru really needed someone like you to help him out of that hole he had trapped himself in." The miko sighed as she thought of all those romance books she had read the one summer break from school. They were nothing compared to her friend's story. "Sango-chan, I'm jealous. Inuyasha doesn't even realize he's being stubborn. He's such an idiot sometimes..."

"Kagome-chan, give him some time. He's just not open to emotions after what happened with Kikyou." Sesshue grabbed at her kimono in curiosity and stared at her in wonder. He was such a curious boy, something he undoubtedly got from his father. The ring on her finger glinted and caught the little hanyou's attention.

"Sango-chan..." Kagome leaned over to get a glimpse of it better. "Is that..."

"Yes, it is." Sango's voice was calm but an excited smile graced her lips. "He told me that Houshi-sama is going to marry us when the village is finished." Sesshue lost interest and attempted to wiggle his way out of his mother's arms. She wouldn't let him.

"I'm so happy for you." A big grin rested on the miko's lips as she leaned back and relaxed. She couldn't wait to start decorating for them. "Can I help you out? I could make a trip to the future and..."

"Kagome-chan, that isn't necessary. I doubt if Sesshoumaru wants anything big."

**-**

Kagome was inside one of the new homes, stocking it with things that Kuranosuke had sent for. It was nice of the young lord to be so helpful. Unfortunately, the miko assumed that he wasn't invited to the wedding. He would probably have to leave. Sesshoumaru didn't like him very much. It was completely obvious, too. Rin and Jaken had been quiet and out of sight for a little while. So was Shippou, so it wasn't much of a surprise. The children tended to get bored without games to play.

"Looks good." Startled, Kagome whirled around. She was armed with a cup and ready to throw it at the intruder. She sighed in relief when she noticed that it was only Inuyasha. "Settle down. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine." She turned back around and continued with her work. "What did you want?"

"Well... Sango made dinner and asked me to come find you." He chuckled at something before continuing. "She almost beat the shit out of the cooks Kuranosuke brought with him. Really wanted to cook, I guess."

"I'll be out in a bit." There was tension and forced conversation. The hanyou wondered what she was thinking about. Then again, there could only be a couple of things that would make her angry with him. Either he'd said the wrong thing last time they talked or it was about Kikyou. He hesitated to leave. He didn't want her mad at him.

"Is there something wrong?" He plopped down by the table, his amber eyes questioning. "Did I upset you?" If she was angry, she would likely want to go home. Something that he couldn't let happen. The fewer trips she made the better.

"No, it's nothing you did." Sango's words were inside Kagome's head ever since they had been said. "I'm fine." Even Sesshoumaru had 'grown up,' so to speak. She was still stuck in high school land with Inuyasha. Why was that? She thought that they could trust each other. Was it that she was too much like Kikyou? Personality wise, they weren't even close. If he took her at face value however... She knew he was in pain. If seeing her and being with her brought him pain, she didn't want that. "Are you okay?" Her voice was quiet and sad. Inuyasha avoided a woman's sadness like the plague.

"Why wouldn't I be?" His sharp tone almost made her wince. So defensive...

"Inuyasha, do you trust me?" She couldn't even face him. Her back was to him and her eyes were focused on the cups in her hands. Tears were waiting to escape from her eyes.

"What the hell brought this on?" She didn't answer his naturally defensive question. He took it that she was waiting. "What do you think? Of course I do." Willing the tears to keep back for a few more minutes, she took a deep breath.

"Is it because I look like her?" She was lucky he had such good hearing. "Are you in pain whenever we're alone together? Is that why we're not going anywhere?" The tears began to fall and her body was trembling. "I promised that I wouldn't push you. I promised that I could be there for you when you needed me. How can I when you don't tell me anything?" She rounded on him then and he took in her expression steadily.

"Kagome..." He bit back his scathing reply and looked at the floor. "You of all people should know what's going on inside my head. I'm not ready for this. I can't make myself see you any other way than I do right now. All I can ask is that you wait for me. As soon as I settle things with Kikyou, I promise that I'll be able to give you an answer."

"Inuyasha... I'm not asking you for a relationship right now! I want you to tell me what to do! I want you to be able to look me in the eye and see _me_. I know that that is too much to ask but it is all I want from you." She turned back around. "I can't see any of this getting any easier until you can see the difference. We don't have the same face. We're similar but not the same." Her small frame was finally still of the tremors. "Her love was true. Yours was true. But that was fifty years ago, Inuyasha. This is now."

**-**

Sango had come to terms with Sesshoumaru's plan. However, Kuranosuke was beginning to pester her. The man obviously believed that she was marrying him on the day that the village was finished. He must not have felt the need to look at her hands. She knew beyond a doubt that he was getting on her mate's nerves.

"Sango-chan!" He stopped when he noticed that she was with the hanyou child. He had never bothered to ask who the parents of the child were. Was it an orphan child? It looked like the hanyou in their group... "Hello." He held out his finger to the little boy and watched as the child looked up with intelligent eyes and grasped the finger in greeting. "What's his name?"

"Sesshue." Kuranosuke grinned and ruffled the boy's hair as he sat down next to them.

"He is a beautiful child. He loves you." She bit her lip and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Well... I am his mother." The baby managed to catch her attention again and she smiled brilliantly at him. "I want to start a new era. I want peace for him. I want him to be able to trust and love without fear." She was surprised when the lord next to her smiled sadly as he stared out over the half-finished village.

"I always knew you would accomplish something great. When I saw you that first time, beautiful and fierce at such a young age... I just knew that you wouldn't settle for an average life or an average goal. Such a dreamer you were! I was envious of your courage. I always tried to be like you. Fearless and kind." His eyes went to her son. "His father is a great youkai. If there was anyone that could begin a new era, it would be Sesshoumaru-sama." Her eyes began to sting from the tears she held back.

"Will you help us?" Her eyes met his. "We need all the help we can get. This is finally your time to make your family proud." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

"Ah, to hear those words. Whatever you need, Sango-chan, I will provide to the best of my abilities. May we stay for your ceremony?" The taiji-ya smiled.

"Of course you can. You did help to rebuild the village. I am more than grateful to you for that." His smile brightened. It was the first time she had actually had a sensible conversation with the man. It made her happy to have solved the problem before Sesshoumaru had to deal with it.

**-**

Sango growled in frustration as she changed her baby's diaper. If only the mighty Daiyoukai knew how to change diapers. The thought made her laugh.

"Are you not going to sleep?" Sesshoumaru entered the room to see her finishing up the cleaning process of a diaper change. The cloth diaper stunk and he wrinkled his nose. She put it in the special basket then set it outside, considering how full it had become. The taiji-ya wanted to make him wash them.

"I have things to do, Sesshoumaru. I can't go to bed right now." She finished tucking Sesshue in and kissed his forehead. He was such a darling baby. "Oh, I have something to speak with you about." The taiji-ya continued to clean up and put things away before getting ready to change for bed.

"Yes?" He had seated himself on their bed and was watching her with bored eyes.

"Kuranosuke-sama is no longer a problem. We spoke today and he knows about me being your mate." She pulled on her thin purple yukata for bed as she spoke. "He said that he will step down and behave. Also, he will help us start a new era of peace and acceptance. I know that it is a long way off but I am not giving up that dream. I want my baby to grow up without fear. I don't want him to know pain such as Inuyasha's."

"Right now your goal should be going to sleep."

"What are you so worried about?" She got under the covers and settled in. There was no answer as she curled up next to him. "Good night, Sesshoumaru." Her eyes went to his face before she gingerly placed a kiss on his throat. "We'll talk more in the morning, okay? After I train."

**-**

Sango grinned at Kagome, her mahogany eyes sparkling with excitement. The miko smiled in return. Sesshoumaru had allowed them to go and get all they needed in preparation for the ceremony. They all got formal clothes and Kagome had picked out the most beautiful kimono for the taiji-ya.

"It is lovely, Sango-chan! You look amazing in that!" Kuranosuke offered his input and he even helped to pay for some of it as a wedding gift. He also bought her the veil.

"You guys are the best..." The taiji-ya had never looked so radiant. Kuranosuke even said so to the other men as the girls gushed over the plans.

"Though, I never thought that she would wind up with the Lord of the West." Inuyasha snorted at the young lord's statement.

"No one thought so either. In fact, we were more than certain that my ass of a brother would up and leave her once the brat was born." The hanyou couldn't deny the attachment he had for the said brat. Sesshue meant a lot to his uncle.

"I never would have thought Sesshoumaru would back all of those threats and claims that she was his." Miroku's violet eyes went to the parchment he had made that would bind his friend to Inuyasha's elder brother. "I would have fought him for her, even if I died in the process."

"You loved her as well, hm?" Inuyasha tuned the two out when they started describing the attributes of the woman they both had fallen for. The hanyou was pleased that she was related to him. They had always been close, with the exception of his irrational behavior when she was pregnant. Sango was all his brother needed. She would change him. She would change the world and its views. The taiji-ya was a woman of word and goals. They weren't dreams. She would achieve them.

"Ready to go back, guys? We've got a lot of setting up to do if it's going to be in the next couple of days." Kagome turned around after she finished up her sentence to the woman they were talking to.

**-**

Kagome went through the supplies with a grin on her face. Sango had refused to be in the room when she was going through them.

"Inuyasha, this is so exciting, isn't it? I absolutely can't wait!" She had sent Kirara and Shippou out with a few invitations to the wolf clan, Kaede, and Jinenji and his mother. There were others she was going to force Inuyasha to deliver. Mushin and Hachi were two of them. Rin was playing with a couple of favors that the miko was planning to hand out.

"You can't tell? I'm just brimming with excitement." The hanyou moodily took the invitations when she finished with the ones he had to deliver.

"Be back for dinner, okay? You can go with Kirara, if you want."

"Feh, I'll be fine on my own." He took off quickly. In all actuality, before the ceremony took place, he wanted to have a chat with his brother. "Damn idiot." The hanyou had developed a close relationship with the taiji-ya and, though his brother and Sango both knew him well, he wanted to express his thoughts on the marriage. Sango was important to him. She had given birth and loved a hanyou like him. She had befriended him even with the knowledge that he had wanted the Shikon no Tama to turn himself into a youkai. She had seen through his cold facade and hard attitude. She had even accepted Sesshoumaru when even he could not.

**-**

"Kagome-chan?" Sango approached the miko quietly and shyly, her mahogany eyes downcast. Kagome had come to know that expression.

"Sango-chan, what is it?" The taiji-ya frowned and bit her lip.

"I wanted to ask you a question. It's about... Inuyasha." There was silence throughout the room as the miko tried to consider what her friend wanted to know about the hanyou that she already didn't. "I was wondering what you think he would say if I asked him to...give me away at my wedding." Kagome was speechless. That was considered such an honor.

"I-I don't know. I doubt if he would oppose. You two have been closer as of late..." Her expression grew weary. "Why did you want him to be the one...?"

"Well, my family is dead and you guys are all I have. Houshi-sama is binding me and Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's always been there for me. He treated me like an equal, like a warrior. He made me stronger at my times of weakness. He helped me during my pregnancy. I don't know where I would be without him." Sango looked pale as she considered him telling her no.

"Sango..." Kagome felt tears sting her eyes at the words her friend confided with her. "You can talk to him when he gets back. I would suggest waiting until after dinner, though. He's a little moody as it is."

"Thank you, Kagome-chan."

**-**

Sango approached Inuyasha just as Kagome had told her to. After the hanyou was well-fed. She had asked him to remain apart from the others and told him that she wanted to speak with him privately. He nodded.

"What is it?" She kicked at the dirt with her sandal and bit her lip. "I ain't got all night."

"I-I wanted to ask you if you would give me away at the wedding." The taiji-ya didn't want to look at him but she knew that she wanted to gauge his reaction to be ready for the words he would hit her with. He looked absolutely dumbfounded.

"What?" She repeated herself with a dark flush staining her cheeks. "Why me? Why not someone that's been better to you-"

"There is no one else that means more to me, Inuyasha. You pushed me to get over my losses, you made me stronger, and you were there for me. I pushed you and I'm sorry. But...you're the closest thing to family that I had after they were all killed." She stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Well...if it means so much to you..." He scratched the back of his head. "I'll give you away, Sango." She smiled and hugged him happily. The hanyou gave her a couple pats on the back awkwardly then put his hands on her shoulders. "Have you seen my brother?"

"He's with Sesshue and Rin. They were going to our home together after dinner." He nodded and walked off in that direction. She decided to stay away from them for a while. She knew that he needed some alone time with his brother. So, the taiji-ya decided to go to the bathhouse for a while.

Inuyasha approached the house and knew which room he would be in. Sesshue was tucked in and Rin was asleep on her feet. The Daiyoukai put her to bed and walked back into his room. Inuyasha was sitting on the bed, watching his nephew sleep.

"I wanted to talk to you." Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to make a face as he slid the door closed and joined his brother at the edge of the bed.

"I assume it is about the taiji-ya." His smooth voice made the hanyou wince. He remembered many times wanting to rip the throat from the very same brother. Especially after having heard that smooth voice.

"It is." He turned and stared into the amber eyes of his sibling. "She wants me to give her away at the wedding. I wanted to talk to you before that but now even more so. I want to make sure I'm handing her over to someone who is definitely going to make good on his promises."

"She is already mine in the youkai sense, brother. I am marrying her because of her human status. I also believed that she wanted such a ceremony." Sesshoumaru's gaze never strayed from his brother's face. "It is irrelevant whether or not you are the one giving her away. I planned on marrying her to prove that I am willing to keep promises. She believes I will still leave her. I knew something had to be done to prove that I would not."

"Hmph." Inuyasha grimaced at the words his brother said. They were true. Sango was scared about him. She didn't want to see his back as he walked away from her. "As much as I hate to say it, I wouldn't give her away to anyone else. It seems fitting that you two are together. I wouldn't give her to that 'lord' or even to Miroku. The houshi broke her heart more times than I could count and that 'lord' didn't really know her for who she was. He knew her as a strong, independent woman. But that was it." The hanyou smiled slightly. "You two are a strange pair but I give you my blessing." Sesshoumaru stared at him for a long moment before smirking slightly.

"That will mean a lot to her." Inuyasha frowned and stuck out his hand.

"If you're going to be tied to her no matter what, then I suppose we should call a truce. We can't kill each other. It would hurt her too much." The Daiyoukai surprising didn't hesitate. They shook then let go. "I'll leave you alone now. I have something else to deal with." When he was about to open the door and leave, he heard his brother's voice behind him.

"You gave Sango a second chance. Perhaps there is someone that deserves their first chance." The hanyou turned around but Sesshoumaru wasn't looking at him. Without a doubt, he was talking about Kagome. He left the room and closed the door before running from the house. He didn't think about his brother's words. If he thought too much, his instincts not to trust would kick in. His desperate need to hold on to Kikyou would push the words away. He went right to Kagome's room to see her sitting on the floor, making little party favor bags for the wedding.

"Kagome..." She jumped and looked back at him with a startled expression. "You're right. I don't know why I keep pushing you away. You're not her and you never will be. I need to move on." He looked at the floor. "I'm giving you a chance." He didn't meet her gaze when he heard her stand. The next thing he knew, she was there with her arms around him, the scent of tears in the room.

"I-Inuyasha..."

**-**

Sango cringed as Kagome squealed happily. The miko looked absolutely lovely, dressed in a pale purple kimono. Her hair was done in a braid that twisted elegantly into a bun. She was currently working on the taiji-ya's hair while a couple of maidens that Kuranosuke sent for a couple days prior worked on the kimono. One tied the obi while the other made certain everything was placed right. She got the lacquered sandals and placed them in front of Sango's socked feet.

"Almost there..." The baby was with Shippou and Kaede but of course it had been passed around the day before when the guests had all arrived. "Got it." Kagome stood back and admired her work. Sango's hair was twisted up in a bun and with decorated chop sticks stuck through. White ribbons were weaved into her strands of hair. Her make-up was natural and light, only white eyeshadow that Kagome had bugged her to let her use instead of her usual. The taiji-ya had a faint blush to her cheeks as everyone gave her a critical eye. "Perfect. Sango, you look absolutely beautiful!"

"K-Kagome..." Sango was forced into her sandals and Kagome had rushed from the room as soon as she heard Miroku outside the door. Inuyasha was shoved inside with her. Their miko friend had gotten to him, too. He was no longer in his usual red haori. It was black and red, looking like Sesshoumaru's usual garb. "Inuyasha..." He looked back at her. His hair was straight and knot-free. She could only guess at the torture that the miko had bestowed upon him.

"Hey. You look good." His cocky grin spread across his face. "Let's get this show on the road, huh?" He held out his arm and she took it with little hesitation.

"Thank you for doing this for me." He nodded and began leading her outside. Rin had a pretty lavender kimono on and was holding a small white pillow with rings sitting on top of it. Sango's eyes went to all of their guests before landing on Miroku and Sesshoumaru. The houshi was in black robes similar to his usual ones. Sesshoumaru was dressed like Inuyasha only he looked so much more elegant than usual. His armor was gone, as were his swords. They made it to where the small platform was set up. Miroku stood above them and was reading from an old book. The both said 'I do' and placed the rings on each others hands.

"You may kiss your bride." Sesshoumaru had no problem leaning down and kissing her. However, Sango felt heat consume her face as she returned it. The feeling of everyone staring... "Congratulations, you two." Suddenly, they were surrounded by their friends and allies. Everyone wanted to hug the bride... Sesshoumaru was edgy and kept his hand on her shoulder the entire time. They had a lot of food and games. The favors were passed out by the bride and the bridesmaid. Sango grinned as the party wound down. She went and sat at her mate's side, holding Sesshue in her arms.

"Thank you for doing this for me." He remained silent and wrapped his arm around her waist when she scooted closer. She had gotten away and fed the baby a couple times, leaving him by himself for a while. "You know... I couldn't ask for anything else. This is one of the best days of my life." They sat there until nightfall, Sango resting her head against his shoulder and Sesshue napping in his mother's embrace. Rin had joined them, sitting on Sesshoumaru's other side and leaning against him with a smile on her face. It was an oddly fitting picture. The family of four held together by threads of love. Miroku smiled as he spotted them, finally closing that chapter in his life. He would help them all he could. Kuranosuke also smiled at them from his spot not too far away. He was going to do his best to help them. He would make his family proud.

Together, everyone would work toward a new era. An era of peace. One that accepted hanyou. One in which a hanyou would take over the lands of his fathers. The lands of the West.

**XxX**

_Okay, to start, I am so sorry about the hold up. I had no intentions of it happening. I had to increase my hours at work and I was still going to school..._

_I leave this to you as a closing chapter._

_So..._

_Please review!_

_THE END_

_-Angel_


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